Species Protection

Peel Ports have been working with RSPB in Medway to help protect one of the largest colonies of nesting Sandwich Terns on the East Coast of England at Burntwick Island.

During the 2020 summer lockdown, the island experienced an influx of visitors. Sandwich Terns are ground-nesting species and therefore are highly vulnerable to disturbance from human activity, which in some cases can cause adults to abandon their nests and leave their chicks and eggs behind.
 
During April 2021, Peel Ports worked with the RSPB to install signs on Burntwick Island to ask visitors not to land on the island to protect nesting birds. Reports in May 2021 show that the campaign has been hugely successful with 400 Sandwich Terns recorded at Burntwick Island so far.

Some recreational activities can also present a risk to protected species.  Peel Ports have developed a poster and flyer that can be downloaded for guidance on how to operate a jet ski responsibly to protect the local environment in Medway and The Swale.

Peel Ports have also collaborated with the Mersey Gateway Environmental Trust on their Orchid Management Project.  You can read more about the project here.