Kent Wildlife Trust is appealing to people to report instances of wildlife disturbance, after concerns were raised over video of jetskiers close to Pegwell Bay National Nature Reserve.
However, riders have highlighted that personal watercrafts are permitted to travel in and out of the River Stour as long as certain rules are adhered to, such as lowering speeds and avoiding particularly sensitive areas.
Disturbances can cause birds to abandon their nests and seals can also react. What may appear to be normal behaviour, like getting in and out of the sea, can have a significant impact on the marine mammal, causing them to struggle to put on weight or feed their pups.
Repeated disturbance may result in injury from stampeding, they may gash their bellies on sharp rocks, tear their skin on sand or rip out their claws.
Personal watercrafts are permitted to travel in and out of the River Stour and fuller video footage shows the riders moving slowly through the reserve area and that they are within the the marker buoys of a designated waterway coming out of the river mouth.
Users are required to avoid the inter-tidal areas, mudflats and salt marsh, keep speeds under 8 knots within 300-400m of the shore and avoid designated prohibited wildlife areas.
Riders who see seals, particularly around the sandbanks at Pegwell Bay, are required to slow down to a “no-wake” speed of under 5 knots and maintain a wide distance to prevent abandonment of pups or injury.
Kent Wildlife Trust says: “This special place is home to sensitive bird species and a locally important harbour seal population.
“Disturbance from recreational watercraft, including jet skis, is an ongoing concern, especially during crucial periods like shore-nesting season. Even brief disruption can cause birds to abandon nests or seals to flee, putting their survival at risk.
“Under the Thanet Beaches and Coast Public Spaces Protection Order, disturbing wildlife is an offence. If you witness wildlife disturbance, please report it.”
Find details of how to report incidents and guidance on watching seals safely at: https://www.kentwildlifetrust.org.uk/learn/wildlife-advice/how-watch-seals-safely
Ahh, it’s knob season again.
Morons it should be banned there are Seals wildlife this is totally unacceptable go somewhere else Dover
I think this is a social Karen moaning for moanings sake, seals are inquisitive animals and if you have experienced the seals in the river like I have many times and turned the engine off and drifted the seals will enter the water to come and investigate. It just seems that Jetskiers are getting the wrap for this, what about if you go to Sandwich Quay and pay the guy that does the seal trips to deliberately go and show them to the paying public? This disturbs them more and is deliberate and nobody mentions this
Idiot its a danger to wildlife you smim in the sea ad get your head cracked by a jet ski twats who’s the Karen then ban this is a wildlife issue not for people water motorbikes
You clearly don’t swim in the river or in the area of nature reserve, because if you do then your guilty of trespassing and ignoring the rules of walking on the salt flats as this is clearly indicated in the nature reserve, your level of intellect is shown by calling people twats! You obviously don’t have the grey matter to string a sentence together.
But you’re fine to call people Karens? Sounds like a twat to me.
These lads did nothing wrong, followed the rules correctly and obeyed the markers. Only sped up when allowed to. People who complain about this needs to get the facts right and understand the rules before slandering these lads. They were respectful and slower than the harbourmaster who was also there on his boat.
I saw footage of Kent wildlife and they weren’t doing anything wrong. They were within the channel markers and travelling very slowly past the seals before exiting the river. It’s unfair that everyone vilifies them simply because they’re jet skis and people seem so determined to avoid enjoying life. I bet they caused less disturbance than the seal-watching boat with its massive propellers that visits multiple times a week. If people took the time to research and gather facts before commenting on activities the world would be a better place.
these selfish idiots should have thier toys taken off them and they should be destroyed , and thier little scooters
Total agree the council must put a stop to this wildlife is more important than the twats in sea bikes
Jet skiing is illegal in a river even when you turn your engine off many times!!!
Jet ski w anchors. They don’t care. Turn up in their range rovers and ignore the markers. SL ain’t wrong. Rich twats on their twat-mobiles. Seen them regularly go over the tidal pool at Walpole at high tide, despite swimmers in the water.