Removal of debris from the seabed in Cawsand Bay, Cornwall

Descriptions

Natural England works for people, places and nature, to enhance biodiversity, landscapes and wildlife in rural, urban, coastal and marine areas; promote access, recreation and public well-being; and contribute to the way natural resources are managed so that they can be enjoyed now and in the future. Natural England is a partner in The LIFE Recreation ReMEDIES: 'Reducing and Mitigating Erosion and Disturbance Impacts affecting the Seabed' project (LIFE 18 NAT/UK/000039) which runs from July 2019 - Oct 2023 and will improve the condition of seagrass beds in five Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) between Essex and Isles of Scilly. This will be achieved by restoration, demonstration and reducing recreational pressures. Promoting awareness, communications and inspiring better care of sensitive seabed habitats will be key. This specific project for which we are requesting quotations, concerns the restoration of the seagrass bed within Caswand Bay, Cornwall. This site is within the Plymouth Sound and Estuaries Special Area of Conservation. It's a shallow subtidal seagrass bed - a subfeature of the Plymouth Sound and Estuaries SAC. There is a history of use of ad-hoc mooring equipment by local boat-owners within the site. Over the last few decades we understand that a number of different mooring 'tackle' configurations have been lost or abandoned on the seabed. These may consist of old tyres filled with concrete, engine parts, concrete blocks and other heavy gear. The removal of these items may improve the condition of the seagrass bed (alongside other projects including improving moorings systems and cultivating seagrass for transplantation within the SAC). Natural England wishes to commission a contactor (who's suitably skilled and qualified to dive) to undertake an underwater 'clean up' of debris within and around the seagrass bed in Cawsand Bay, Cornwall, to safely remove all identified items of abandoned mooring equipment from within and around the seagrass bed. To dispose of these items appropriately and ensure that proposed removal methods fully consider the sensitivity of the seagrass habitat and are designed to avoid disturbance, abrasion or damage to the seagrass feature.