WILDLIFE PROTECTION ZONE TIGHTENED AFTER PREVIOUS RESTRICTIONS 'NOT ABIDED'

ALL ADVENTURE activities have now been included in a six-month exclusion zone on a section of the Welsh coast.

- By ANDREW FORGRAVE

A 1.8-mile stretch on Holy Island, Anglesey, was last month declared out of bounds to commercial activities amid concerns for the area's rare wildlife.

The British Mountaineering Council (BMC) Cymru was originally told the ban would not affect individual rock climbers providing they observed specific area restrictions. But following subsequent breaches in recent weeks, a total banning order will now apply to 'all activities.

The exclusion zone covers part of the Range, a headland within the Glannau Ynys Gybi Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). This land leased to RSPB Cymru by Anglesey council is part of South Stack Nature Reserve.

The ban began on March 15 and it runs until September 15, covering the bird breeding season. Natural Resources Wales (NRW) agreed to set up the exclusion zone following a request from the RSPB. This followed increasing concerns over damage from commercial adventure activities that neither the council nor RSPB had agreed.