Your Seas Your Voice

Do you know of a place that needs protecting? Let the Marine Conservation Society know at www.yourseasyourvoice.com. This website allows you to nominate an area you feel should become an MPA, or select from one of 73 MCS-recommended MPAs dotted around the UK coast.

Information will be used to demonstrate the social support for MPAs to UK governments, which are planning MPA networks to be established by 2012.

Every vote counts, please get online and vote.

 

Easter Training 2010

With great pleasure, the Training Team and Diving Officer would like to announce the opening of sign-up to Easter Training 2010!

This year we will be returning to Plymouth and Fort Bovisand for the 11 day trip. Easter Training is not only a chance to get most of the Ocean Diver and Sports Diver open water dives completed but a great chance to make some wonderful lifelong friends and brilliant memories.

The dates are: 1st - 11th April 2010 so get it in your diaries!

If you would like to come on the trip please sign up using this form or visit the calender page. Signup will close on the 31st January so make sure to get your name down before then!

Any questions- please fire them through to ulsac_training [at] yahoogroups [dot] com.

 

ULU Laurels 2009

ULSAC is pleased to congratulate a number of our members who won awards at the ULU Laurels 2009 ceremony:

Honourary Life Membership Award for their many years of outstanding and exceptional service to ULSAC

• Martin Greaves
• Victoria Lees
• Bonnie Morgan
• Jeremy Davey

Laurel for their notable service in the organisation and administration of ULSAC.

• Dave Pearce

Society Shield for her outstanding achievement and contribution to ULSAC.

• Helen Cripps

These members have shown complete dedication to ULSAC and have been justly rewarded for their efforts. The whole club should be proud that the commitment of our members is always noted by ULU at this annual event.

 

O'Neill Sponsorship

Many thanks go to O'Neill for their generous sponsorship of ULSAC's Easter Training Trip in April 2009. O'Neill's donation helped pay for nitrox at Easter Training, making diving safer for ULSAC's members.

ULSAC thanks O'Neill for their support and looks forward to a long and prosperous relationship between the two parties.

 

Dr Donald Patrick (Don) Moody, PhD, 1932 – 2009

It is with great sadness that news has reached ULSAC of the passing away of one of its founding fathers, Don Moody, who passed away peacefully in hospital on 27th February 2009 in Exeter, Devon, aged 77 years, after a full and fascinating life.

Don was instrumental in the formation of ULSAC during the academic year of 1958/9 and his passion for diving has provided inspiration for members of the club for the last 50 years.

Diving was but one of Don’s passions, as he was also highly regarded as an anthropologist, ethnobotanist, scientist, Wellcome Medallist, bon viveur and true raconteur. He was a beloved and loving husband to Doreen, father to Denise (Dee), Diana, Debbie, Donna and Danny, and proud grandfather of twelve, as well as being a well-regarded friend, confidante and mentor to many others.

ULSAC’s thoughts and prayers are with the Moody family at this time. The club will endeavour to dive and live with the spirit of adventure and enthusiasm with which Don conceived it.

Any donations to the family’s chosen charity will gratefully be received on behalf of the ‘Royal Devon and Exeter Kidney Development Fund’, c/o Coombes & Sons Funeral Directors, 73 Fore Street, Bovey Tracey, TQ13 9AB.

 

50th Anniversary Dinner

ULSAC celebrated it’s 50th Anniversary in style by hosting a dinner dance event on the HMS President, moored on the side of the Thames.

The event was attending by past and present members of club. Following a wonderful dinner speeches were given by Bill Williams, Marcus Allen and Jeremy Davey representing 3 different eras of diving within ULSAC.

An auction and raffle were held at the event (please see the Sponsors Page for a list of all the prizes donated by various sponsors). From the money generated by the auction and raffle, ULSAC have donated 25% to the RNL, who provide a wonderful service to divers across the whole country.

Photos of the event will be available shortly.

 

Club History

As the club moves into it's 50th anniversary year (following the academic year of its inception 1958/9), we are looking to piece together the history of our wonderful club. There have, of course, been many important and crucial points in the history of the club that have shaped it into what it is today.

If you are a former member of the club and have any dates of important events or memories that you think would be important to include in the club history then please email Jeremy Davey, via the mail link on the Committee Page. Also if you wish to get back in touch with the club and participate in any of the events that are planned for the 50th year then please get in touch.

We look forward to hearing from as many past members as possible to make it a very special year!

 

ULSAC Members march for Marine Reserves Now

Click here to view a collection of photos from the march.

ULSAC members take part in a march to Parliament to deliever the Marine Reserves Now petition.

On the 3rd April, a group of 80 divers (including 11 from ULSAC) marched to Parliament to deliever the Marine Reserves Now petition, containing 100,000 signatures. This petition is aiming to urge Government to set up a network of vital Marine Reserves around the coast line and was set up by the Marine Conservation Society. With a high media presence the march has brought this matter to the attention of the public and will hopefully bring about the marine reserves that are needed around the inshore coast of Britain.

Here is a Times Online article with video, documenting the march and views of participants.

Visit Marine Reserves Now to sign the petition and for more information about the campaign. Here is a summary taken from the website of the Marine Conservation Society

UK seas are home to a huge variety of widlife, yet less than a thousandth of one percent of our sea area is fully protected. As divers we have a unique opportunity to experience this underwater world and as such we need to do all we can to maintain this amazing place.

The Marine Conservation Society is campaigning for a network of vital Marine Reserves – where our precious marine heritage and wildlife will be safe from harm, giving nature room to breathe and recover from decades of exploitation.

The Facts:

• Scientists recommend that 20- 30% of our seas should be fully protected to ensure their survival.
• Over 60% of UK fisheries are unsustainable,and delicate long-lived species continue to be damaged by destructive fishing techniques.
• Case studies abroad have shown that Marine Reserves can benefit divers, anglers, fishermen and biodiversity alike. New Zealand has 28 Marine Reserves, and 33% of the Great Barrier Reef is highly protected – many reserves have resulted in increased fish and shellfish populations, whilst biodiversity is protected from destruction.

Together we can make a real difference. Register your vote at www.marinereservesnow.org.uk  to help convince the Government that marine conservation must be at the core of the Marine Bill.

It's our job to look after the seas for future generations, so sign up now!