Call for stronger protection in Water Reform Bill
THE CLEAN WATER SPORTS ALLIANCE( CWSA) has written to the Water Minister, Emma Hardy, urging the government to embed stronger protections for public health and recreational water users into forthcoming water legislation.
The Alliance, which includes BSAC and represents national governing bodies for water-based activities across England and Wales, said the new Water Reform Bill cannot be allowed to fall short.
The Environment Secretary, Emma Reynolds, had promised‘ once-in-ageneration reforms’ with‘ tough oversight’ and‘ real accountability’. However, the White Paper is light on delivery detail, lacks clarity, and leaves major questions unanswered about what will change in practice and when.
TRIBUTES HAVE BEEN PAID TO THE shipwreck researcher and treasure hunter Richard Larn OBE, who died in January, aged 94. He lived through the halcyon days of UK wreck exploration, publishing 65 books on the subject and also serving as BSAC’ s Deputy Diving Officer.
Born in Norfolk in 1931, he was raised in Great Yarmouth before being evacuated to Oxford during the Second World War. He attended sea training school from the age of 14, and two years later taught himself to dive using a Dräger U-boat escape set, in the River Thames.
Shortly after, he joined the Merchant Navy, transferring to the Royal Navy in 1950, where he served for 22 years. Posted to Korea, he was Chief Petty Officer Mechanician and Diver, and became one of the first in the Royal Navy to dive from helicopters during recovery operations.
In 1957 he joined BSAC, becoming Deputy Diving Officer in 1961. He was also a founder member and Diving Officer of the Naval Air Command Sub Aqua Club( NACSAC), established in the early 1960s.
Among his first projects was research into the Scilly Naval Disaster of 1707, which led to a team of Royal Navy Divers visiting the archipelago on board a minesweeper. This led to the discovery of the wreck of HMS
In the letter to the Water Minister, the CWSA insisted that future legislation should include a clear, unambiguous public health objective and place a statutory duty on the new water regulator and water companies to protect and improve public health for all water users.
Ben Seal, Head of Access & Environment at Paddle UK, said the paper needed more details and a timeline.
“ The failings of the past have shown us just how easy it has been for polluters to avoid regulation and disregard the impact pollution has on human health. That is why we believe it is absolutely critical that this government enshrines in law, explicit, unambiguous legal duties that safeguard everyone who enjoys our rivers, lakes and coastlines for recreation.”
Richard Larn – a life dedicated to shipwrecks
Association, a 90-gun Second Rate Ship of the Line lost in the 1707 event. Richard was not present at the time of the discovery due to a redeployment, but joined NACSAC for subsequent expeditions in 1969, 1970 and 1971 before leaving the Royal Navy in 1972.
After two years working at an electronics firm, he founded a commercial diving training centre, Prodive Ltd, initially in Charlestown, Cornwall, then in Falmouth Docks. In 1976 he established the Charlestown Shipwreck and Heritage Centre, which grew out of his own collection of shipwreck artefacts. Richard and his wife Bridget moved to the Isles of Scilly in 1988, where they established and ran the Longstone Heritage Centre on the island of St Mary’ s. In 1982 he sold his shares in Prodive to his business partner Roger Parker, then spent the next 10 years, in his own words,“ treasure hunting”, embarking on a series of expeditions to recover silver coins from the Dutch East India Company ship Camden, off the Isle of Wight. Around the same time, he was involved in the recovery of copper artefacts, coins and ingots from the English East Indiaman Admiral Gardner, on the Goodwin Sands, Kent.
Together with his wife, he has written some 56 books on maritime history and archaeology, but his greatest publishing
CEO Mary Tetley said BSAC welcomed the paper but called for more to be done to protect those who spend time recreationally in and on the water.
“ As an organisation, we look forward to continuing to collaborate with the CWSA on the important and essential campaign for cleaner and safer water. We will continue to push for greater transparency on this issue.”
achievement was the Shipwreck Index of the British Isles, an immense, six volume series commissioned for the Lloyd’ s Register of Shipping. It catalogues 45,000 wrecks and is recognised as the definitive reference on the subject.
He remained active in diving throughout his retirement and contributed a regular column on maritime history in local magazines Scilly Now & Then and the Scillonian Magazine. He was awarded an OBE in the 2009 Birthday Honours for services to nautical archaeology and marine heritage.
He leaves a wife, Bridget, and daughters Victoria and Tracy.
13