A SEASIDE hotspot is set to close a 1.8 mile stretch popular with holidaymakers for at least six months.
The exclusion zone has been introduced on Anglesey’s coast near South Stack, in Wales, and has been enforced from March 15 until September 15, 2025.
The exclusion zone has been introduced on Anglesey’s coast near South Stack, in Wales[/caption]
The ban has been enforced from March 15 until September 15, 2025[/caption]
The enforcement comes after the protected area became damaged due to adventure activities taking place in the area.
Natural Resources Wales has now granted the exclusion zone following a request from the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB).
It covers part of an area known as the Range, a headland which falls within Glannau Ynys Gybi Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), on land leased to the RSPB by Anglesey County Council.
The request came in response to increasing damage from commercial adventure activities taking place on the land, despite it not being permitted.
Despite the closure, members of the public will still be able to walk the full length of the site on the Wales Coast Path with no change to access along public rights of way or designated paths.
The zone will help protect rare bird species, endangered wildlife and the environment from damage caused by people engaging in sea cliff traversing and coasteering, which involves exploring rocky coastlines by climbing, jumping, and swimming, during bird breeding season.
These activities are not allowed without the landowner’s or occupier’s permission, and the RSPB has previously tried to prevent them from taking place.
The Countryside and Rights of Way (CROW) Act exclusion zone will cover land from the Wales Coast Path to the sea, and no access will be allowed without the landowner’s permission.
Euros Jones, NRW’s Operations Manager for North West Wales, told North Wales Live: “The exclusion zone will prevent disturbance to schedule 1 protected breeding birds such as chough and peregrine falcons, seals and other rare wildlife including silver studded blue butterflies.
“We considered this request reasonable because of the impact from activities not permitted by the landowner or occupier on wildlife as well as damage caused to the geology of this SSSI such as disturbance to protected lichen and bolting of routes around this section of coastline.”
“This exclusion zone does not prevent these activities taking place elsewhere and we will work with the Council to highlight where they can be carried out without disturbance to wildlife and endangered species.”
“We will monitor activity throughout the exclusion period and review the situation after the six-month period.”
Laura Kudelska, Senior Site Manager at RSPB South Stack, said: “The Range is a rare example of coastal heath habitat; an amazing spot for a wide diversity of birds, plants and insects.
“It’s also fragile and highly vulnerable to damage. Increasingly the level of activity near caves, on cliffs and on the coastal heath is causing unacceptable disturbance to wildlife, especially to chough that feed and nest here.”
“We welcome the introduction of the six-month exclusion zone and we hope this will help to protect the rare wildlife of The Range as well as encouraging more chough to breed here.”
Anglesey Council’s Visitor Economy and Coastal Areas Manager, Andy Godber, said: “We recognise the need for and challenges of balancing wildlife protection and outdoor leisure activities.”
The ban comes after the protected area became damaged[/caption]
The council hopes the ban will help to protect the rare wildlife in the area[/caption]
