Vazon dog ban is not working

Start of a welcome period of freedom from dog urination, defecation, intrusions and noise, amongst other things. However, current dog ban rules do not apply to all island beaches and are limited to just five months (40%) of the year. Current status therefore widely favours dogs. Why then, every year, are there so many breaches of the dog ban at Vazon? Mostly this occurs on the broad sand area, opposite the Waves establishment. The remaining non-banned area to the south of Richmond Kiosk (clearly marked on signage) has also been under voluntary dog ban for many years. For the past eight years, canine activity at Vazon has been monitored, revealing the number of dogs invading the banned zone increased from 102 breaches in 2013 to 1,899 in 2020; a 1,762% increase. There are many issues of concern associated with dogs impacting our quality of life. Important matters, such as hygiene, noise, interference/assaults, and other intrusive behaviours; all of which are unwelcome. In relation to wildlife, declining seabird populations have been reducing much more steeply at Vazon during the last three years. This reduction has been coincident with an increase in canine activity and changes to some dog-walking practices. Bird numbers have also dropped more significantly by the end of the recent lockdown. This followed several weeks of persistent daily increases in canine activity. Curlew, oyster catcher, dunlin, turnstone and plover are currently the lowest numbers ever seen. There are other causes of lesser effect; these are not related to dogs, and subject of separate correspondence in due course.

Significant decline in bird populations at Vazon can only be indicative of the threat the presence of dogs is having, not due to global warming, as suggested by a certain letter on this page of 25 February. I further challenge the assertion, my own correspondence, printed on 19 February, be compared to a ‘shaggy dog tale’ with the issues raised ‘greatly exaggerated’.

Last year, monitoring on Vazon beach alone recorded 2,403 canine-related incidents. Due to resource restriction, the monitoring is limited, excludes extensive urination, barking nuisance, intrusion and assaults on people, sea bird chasing and disturbances; though these in variety have been witnessed and experienced many, many times too. Data therefore is factual-but-minimal, with total impacts significantly more than the data suggests. Island-wide, total canine-related incidents undoubtedly amount to many tens of thousands.

Same writer then proceeded to ‘paint a picture’, attempting to open a door to belief that any absence of extreme packs of marauding hounds intent on mayhem and destruction demonstrates no problem at all exists. However, I have observed thousands of times over the last 10 years dogs chasing seabirds, or simply getting too close to key roosting and feeding areas right across Vazon Bay; causing disturbance, sending seabirds into flight, away from their feeding activity or rest. It is relevant to raise the online ITV news article of 14th October 2019, reporting the killing of a seabird by an off-lead dog, in Jersey; it does happen and is unlikely to have been the first or last time; reported or not. Regardless, it is the frequent daily, year-round intrusion and disturbance that has the more persistent, wider, negative impacts on our seabirds.

Local people, visitors and our wildlife, need clean, safe, peaceful, natural spaces to visit and relax.

Solutions are required.

VAZON.PROTECT@GMAIL.COM