Humberside Police operation wins wildlife crime award

Humberside Police operation wins wildlife crime award

Humberside Police’s Operation Seabird has reportedly won a wildlife crime award for their work in protecting seabirds and mammals on Northern Lincolnshire’s and East Yorkshire’s coastline.

The force was awarded the Wildlife Crime Partner Operation of the Year award for 2021 by the UK National Wildlife Crime Unit, Humberside Police reported.

The Rural Task Force partnered with North Yorkshire Police, Lincolnshire Police, local authorities in East Riding and North East Lincolnshire as well as the Marine Management Organisation (MMO), the RSPCA and the RSPB, among many others.

The operation aims to educate the public about keeping their distance from wildlife when on the coast so that they can survive for generations to come.

Disturbances can harm birds and mammals when in breeding, nesting or looking for food.

Inspector Jon Powell told Humberside Police: “What an incredible and very well-earned award.

“The team has worked so hard to get the operation off the ground and for it to be taken up around the country by other forces is praise in itself for their hard work.

“This award is in recognition of their hard work and ingenuity and I congratulate Rural Task Force officers Sergeant Jenna Jones, PCs Joshua Fawcett, Richard Fussey, Kevin Jones and Erica Williamson.

“Along with this award I am delighted to also hear that our incredibly dedicated Rural Task Force volunteer Gordon Calvert has won a Wildlife Crime Lifetime Achievement Award for 2021 for his amazing life’s work to help others.

“Gordon has worked with Humberside Police’s rural teams at Driffield for over 15 years, dedicating his own time to improving the lives of everyone in our rural communities.

“His many hundreds of hours of work has been unpaid but certainly not un-noticed.”

Speaking about Operation Seabird, sergeant Jenna Jones told Humberside Police: “The Yorkshire coastline is an amazing landscape that’s such an important feeding and breeding ground for a variety of seabirds and marine mammals.

“This valuable asset not only attracts visitors to explore the beaches and cliffs, but also attracts those wishing to explore the coastal waters themselves.

“Unfortunately we have a number of reports each year of members of the public on the water, approaching too closely to the wildlife that lives in the area, including the nesting seabirds and marine mammals.

“The disturbance of these important species can impact on the success of their breeding and also cause cetaceans in particular high levels of stress, which could lead to future issues such as stranding and injuries through impact with water craft.”

(Image: Humberside Police)