Welcome
The waters off the Berwickshire coast have long been considered special by marine biologists as they contain a fantastic abundance and diversity of marine life. Add to this clear waters and spectacular underwater scenery and it is not surprising that divers have been coming to the area for decades.
In the early days numbers were low, but word soon spread and by the 1970s there were concerns that increasing human activity might start to have an adverse effect on the wildlife. Initially divers banned themselves from taking a crab or lobster �for the pot� from around St Abbs and the Barefoot Marine Reserve was set up at Eyemouth by a local landowner. Then in 1984 local fishermen, divers and conservationists got together and decided to create St Abbs & Eyemouth Voluntary Marine Reserve (VMR). This was the first reserve of its kind in the UK and, to this day, remains the only one in Scotland.
The VMR aims to balance the needs of the area�s marine life with the needs of recreation & traditional creel fishing. Protection of the marine life relies on educating people who use the area, promoting responsible behaviour and asking them to stick to a voluntary Code of Conduct.
Latest News
11th June 2012
Splash In 2012 rules now online
Not only is 2012 the year of the Queen�s Diamond Jubilee celebrations, it is also the Silver Jubilee of the St Abbs and Eyemouth Voluntary Marine Reserve�s annual underwater photography competition, the Splash In. Each year the competition goes from strength to strength attracting hundreds of pounds worth of prizes from its generous sponsors and divers from all over the UK taking part.
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4th April 2012
Voluntary Marine Ranger needed for Summer 2012
Fancy a summer volunteering at Scotland's first marine protected area? A full-time Voluntary Marine Ranger is required to start work ASAP and help lighten the workload over the busy summer months.
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2nd February 2012
The VMR's Response to a Marine Protected Area at St Abbs
This statement is about the third party proposal for the St Abbs are Eyemouth Voluntary Marine Reserve (VMR) to become a Marine Protected Area (MPA) under the Marine (Scotland) Act.
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