Kayakers and paddleboarders 'unknowingly' disturbing sea life
The study suggested disturbances from fast-moving craft such as speedboats also occurred in every area.
Dr Emily Hague, of Heriot-Watt University, said: "The truth is that all of Scotland's coastline is important habitat for marine mammals."Whether you're paddling off the coast of Fife or sailing around Skye, you're likely sharing the water with sensitive species."We want people to enjoy Scotland's waters, but to do so responsibly by keeping up to date on how best to respond should you spot marine wildlife."She added: "With a little more awareness and a few small changes, we can all help ensure that sharing the sea doesn't come at a cost to the animals that call it home."
What is the advice?
NatureScot's Scottish Marine Wildlife Watching Code advises people to:Keep a distance of at least 100m (328ft) from marine mammalsAvoid sudden changes in direction, speed or noise - especially in engine-powered boatsAvoid surrounding animalsLimit encounters to 15 minutes and move on if animals show any signs of disturbanceAvoid using fast moving craft for wildlife watching due to their speed, noise and collision riskGive seals on land a wide berth
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
9 hours ago
- BBC News
Drones to scatter seeds over wildfire damaged land in Lochaber
Drones are to be used to scatter the seeds of native tree species over land damaged by nature restoration partnership, Loch Abar Mòr, will use volunteers to collect seeds before they are dispersed over burnt ground on Glenuig wildfires broke out on the estate last has been secured from the Highlands and Islands Environment Foundation for the Seeds from the Sky project. Loch Abar Mòr was launched last year and is a partnership involving land managers, rural businesses and was set up with aims of restoring natural habitats over the next 50 years, and boosting social and economic opportunities in from the Sky is one of its latest projects.A spokesperson said: "We aim to accelerate native woodland regeneration through drone seeding, and to enable natural processes to drive distribution patterns. "Native tree seeds will be collected by volunteers, prepared for sowing, then dispersed by drones over areas of ground burnt by a wildfire last year."
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Daily Mail
Scientist reveals why we should quit or cut down on burgers to save the planet
However you prefer yours, a juicy beef burger can be satisfying but now experts say we should limit our intake to just one every couple of weeks in order to help curb climate change. Professor Paul Behrens of the University of Oxford claims people must cut down on meat and dairy to save the planet, and he argued that long–term climate change could make it impossible to grow food in one-third of current production areas. The professor wrote on The Conversation: 'A shift to plant-rich diets in the UK would free an area almost the size of Scotland [30,000 square miles].' Those of us who love chicken, pork, and beef shouldn't worry, though, as you could still enjoy your favorite meals. Professor Behrens said: 'It's not even vegetarian, although it does include a more reasonable - and healthier - amount of meat and dairy. 'For example, it still includes a hamburger every fortnight.' The professor explained that a shift to plant–rich diets would provide more space to grow crops and help curb rising food prices. He cited research by agricultural economists that found one-third of food price increases in UK in 2023 resulted from climate change. Other studies also predicted significant food price increases every year over the coming decade. Consistent stress on the food system could even cause collapse, according to some experts, which could prompt civil unrest and lead to riots. Professor Behrens said: 'This trajectory of climate-driven food price hikes - leading to social unrest and political decay - is not inevitable. 'The scientific consensus shows that the biggest opportunity we have for reducing food's environmental impacts across many countries is increasing the amount of plants we eat and reducing meat and dairy intake.' A previous study, also carried out by academics at the University of Oxford, revealed that eating just 100g of meat per day - less than a single burger - created four times more greenhouse gases when compared to a vegan diet. Peter Scarborough at Oxford's Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences said: 'Our dietary choices have a big impact on the planet. Our results, which use data from over 38,000 farms in over 100 countries, show that high meat diets have the biggest impact for many important environmental indicators, including climate change and biodiversity loss. 'Cutting down the amount of meat and dairy in your diet can make a big difference to your dietary footprint.' Researchers performed computer modelling scenarios of future greenhouse gas emissions up to the 22nd century using publicly available data from the UN. Experts found that eliminating all animal agriculture in the next 15 years would drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions and pull carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Animal agriculture contributed to global warming because of the methane, nitrous oxide, and carbon emissions of livestock together with their supply chains.
BBC News
2 days ago
- BBC News
Newcastle University kidney drug research 'may be life-changing'
Early withdrawal of a treatment for people with a rare kidney disease is possible without relapse, safer for patients and saves the NHS millions of pounds, researchers Haemolytic Uraemic Syndrome (aHUS) is a life-threatening condition caused by an uncommon defect in the immune system which, in the past, led to kidney failure.A study by Newcastle University has found most patients can stop taking the drug eculizumab after six months and their disease will not return. Prof Neil Sheerin, who led the study, said the findings had "the potential to significantly change the way we manage aHUS and this may be life-changing for some patients". Ending the use of the drug after six months could lead to NHS savings of £4.2m per patient over their lifetime, the university chiefs previously recommended patients stay on eculizumab for the rest of their lives although that leads to an increased risk of meningococcal sepsis. 'I feel like myself again' Twenty-eight people, aged two to 59, from England and Scotland and who had been on eculizumab for at least six months, took part in the patients had their treatment withdrawn. Only four participants' kidney disease returned and the remaining 24 have remained aHus-free to date, the university those taking part was Louise Percival, of York, who was diagnosed with aHus in 35-year-old said she had suffered several side effects, such as migraines, hair loss and breathlessness, before being taken off eculizumab during the described the findings as fantastic."When I was diagnosed with aHUS I felt overwhelmed as it was a huge burden to live with," she said. "It was life-changing as it's something that will never go away."I strongly disliked the eculizumab infusions as they had to be given religiously every two weeks, which impacted my holidays and social events."I'm a very active person, enjoying hiking and the gym, so the side effects and time needed for the treatment were detrimental to my quality of life."I have a fear of needles, so having a cannula put in my arm every fortnight was very distressing."All of the side effects disappeared and I feel like myself again." Prof Sheerin said when a patient initially started treatment for aHUS "they faced a lifetime of eculizumab and the dangers associated with it"."Now we have shown that many people can stop the treatment, freeing them from the burden of regular intravenous injections and removing risk of serious infection associated with the drug," he said."In addition, significant efficiency savings for the NHS of £110.4m over five years could be realised in this patient population through more targeted use of this high-cost treatment."The study was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research and published in The Lancet Regional Health Europe. Follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
