Boating and watercraft questionnaire

This is a questionnaire about boating and watercraft activities and how they may relate to invasive non-native species (INNS) movement in the South West of England. Aquatic INNS are particularly problematic as they can be unintentionally spread from one water body to another through water-based recreational activities. This is concerning as many INNS threaten the local biodiversity and natural resources that so many of us value and use for recreational purposes. We are particularly interested in gathering information about the following water bodies: Stithians Reservoir, Siblyback Lake, Bude Canal, Tamar Lakes, Roadford Lake, Wimbleball Lake, Longham Lakes and Christchurch Harbour. Please know that you do not need to be a user of these water bodies to participate in this survey.

This questionnaire is part of a wider project that aims to gain a better understanding of recreational boating and other watercraft activities in the South West and develop a 'boating pathway action plan', which will identify potential pathways of spread of aquatic INNS, highlight priority sites and species of concern and identify priority actions for INNS biosecurity. As a steward of water resources in the South West, South West Water (SWW) is leading this project, working in collaboration with South West Lakes Trust (SWLT), the Community Invasive Non-Native Species Group (CINNG), The Angling Trust, APEM Ltd and other community partners (e.g., The Green Blue) to encourage a partnership approach to dealing with INNS.

Your input will be vital for SWW to develop appropriate action plans to help reduce the spread of INNS in the South West. The questionnaire should take approximately 10 minutes. The survey will be live until July 9th. Thank you for your valuable contribution!