NO6590 On the beach which lies immediately south of the River Lunan’s mouth, there is a land use conflict between the long established uses of native wildlife such as birds and more recent, recreational uses by people. The area in question is a honeypot site for locals and tourists because Lunan Bay has a reputation for being one of the best beaches in Angus and the river mouth is fairly accessible by road. However, large numbers of various sea birds are also attracted to this place in search of food.
The attached photo shows a lady walking her dogs near to the site in question. As the dogs approach, the frightened birds are scared off from where they are feeding and they rise into the air to take flight from that place. By these actions not only do they lose sustenance but they use valuable energy. Other activities that disturb wildlife, here, include horse riding, kite flying and water sports.
Clearly, there are two sides to this land use conflict, but as a discussion point, what is the best balance overall?
Adrian L Diack, M.A. (Hons)
NO6950 : Walking dogs on Lunan Bay beach