Members of Save Pawlett Hams, a local group dedicated to preserving the landscape between Burnham-On-Sea and Bridgwater, have taken part in a special run to raise awareness of the proposed salt marsh creation by EDF.
They gathered together to ‘run the hams’ on Sunday May 5th, days after a successful sell-out ‘Rock the Hams’ music event was held at Pawlett Pavillion at the end of April.
The team behind the Save Pawlett Hams campaign say their goal is to inform and empower local people on how they can make a difference and oppose EDF’s Salt Marsh proposal.
As Burnham-On-Sea.com reported here, a large area of the Pawlett Hams nature reserve could be flooded and turned into a salt marsh by EDF at a reported cost of £50m as the firm tries to compensate for the large amount of fish being sucked into its cooling pipes.
A Save Pawlett Hams spokesman says: “EDF has rolled back on its initial plan to save millions of fish by installing an ‘acoustic fish deterrent’ (AFD) system due to safety reasons, and this was essential to EDF not causing harm to the Severn Estuary. The salt marsh is meant to compensate for the loss of fish life.”
“The Bristol Channel and Severn estuary are hugely important habitats for species including salmon and eel.”
“Pawlett Hams is well known in aquatic beetle circles and the EDF proposals would certainly lead to a serious diminishing of freshwater aquatic biodiversity for little seeming biodiversity gain, and a huge loss of fish from the Severn estuary.”
Other wildlife that could be lost include great crested newts, water voles in the ditches, and hares. Many locals are strongly opposed to EDF’s salt marsh plans.
Local Lib Dem MP candidate Claire Sully is among those supporting the campaign and she also joined the runners, walkers, cyclists and a horse rider at Sunday’s run.
Burnham-On-Sea and Highbridge Town Council has also raised its concerns over the environmental impact to the Bristol Channel.
Chris Fayers, Head of Environment at Hinkley Point C, said: “The new wetland would
