Longstanding concerns regarding the reckless use of jet skis around the shores of Tenby and its surrounding areas have surfaced once again - with an emphasis on swimmer safety and wildlife protection pointed towards.

An incident on the morning of Saturday, March 21 at around 10.30am, which saw three jet-ski users bombing around erratically in the waters close to Tenby harbour, very close to the shoreline, before departing the locality, and ignoring the designated safety zone around the RNLI lifeboat station’s launching area, has seen James Parkin, Director of Nature and Tourism at the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority alerted to concerns, ahead of another busy holiday season.

County councillor for Tenby’s North ward had recently raised the issue once again during a meeting of the Pembrokeshire Coastal Forum.

“On Saturday last I witnessed a group of jet skis playing around about 30 metres from Tenby harbour pier. Approximately twenty minutes earlier there was a group of people swimming in the same area,” Cllr Williams stated in correspondence sent to Mr Parkin.

“The swimmers at that time had no buoyant attachments identifying their position, and I know from experience how difficult it is to see swimmers in the water when they have no clear buoyancy attached.

“My experience is from a motor vessel which achieves a speed of 7 knots, jet skis can travel at 4 or 5 times this speed making almost impossible to see people in the water!

“I am of the opinion that the education work carried out by the Forum and the claimed monitoring of these devices has failed, and the very presence of these jet skis is inappropriate in a coastal National Park and appears to be completely contrary to the ethos of National Parks.”

Cllr Williams said that he has looked carefully at the ‘Pembrokeshire Marine Code’ - and apart from an initiative around six years ago to place marine buoys at the South of Caldey, funded by PCNPA, warning boat users not to disturb the seal population, these were swept away during a storm and only benefited commercial operators.

“Some education activities I understand relate to jet skis which are stored and permitted to launch from Lydstep Haven have without any doubt failed when one witnesses the annual behaviour of some users!” continued Cllr Williams.

“I am concerned that the very peace and tranquillity that the National Park offers our visitors is being seriously undermined by the very presence of jet skis, together with the considerable damage which I see annually to the wildlife.

“To see dozens of Guillemots and Razorbills so terrified that they abandoned their nest long before they are ready to fledge is extremely distressing. This happens annually at St Margarets Island, something which I describe as a little wildlife gem just west of Caldey Island

“If we are serious about the protection of wildlife we must surely address activities which are clearly seen to cause distress and damage to many species of migratory birds,” he added.