'Human invasion' prompts calls to limit Ecrehous visitors

Homeowners on one of Jersey's offshore reefs say a 'human invasion' has made them want to restrict the number of people who can go there.

Residents at Les Ecrehous are worried, not only for their privacy, but for the future of the surrounding ecology, after what they describe as a 700% increase in the number of boats visiting since 2011.

They say tourists are frightening seals and scaring nesting birds off their eggs, and it's an effect that marine conservation experts say could be very detrimental.

The charter boat services pilot their boats safely on the way to the reef and every skipper is WiSe accredited.

While they ask their clients to be respectful and warn people where active nesting sites are, they say they have no control over what they do once they're on dry land.

The residents put up signs, asking visitors to be considerate, but now they want to introduce stricter guidelines, which could be policed.

The disruption to wildlife has been noted by marine conservation experts too.

Kevin McIlwee from Jersey Marine Conservation says he's seen a drop in the number of seals living in nearby waters and believes it's down to the increase in traffic.