5.2.2 Poole Harbour: Main Activities and Uses

There are over twenty different recreational activities taking place in Poole Harbour including walking, cycling, beach activities, watersports and a selection of powered and non-powered craft (sailing, powerboating, kayaking etc).

• As a busy commercial port, Poole Harbour supports significant shipping, including cargo and cross-Channel ferries.
• It is also used extensively by the public for a wide range of leisure and recreational activities, which occur both in and around the harbour.
• There are seven marinas and eight yacht clubs, with five thousand moorings (a combination of swing moorings and sheltered marine and pontoon berths).
• Approximately a hundred fishing boats under 10 metres operate out of the harbour, as well as a large charter boat fleet for fishing and diving trips.
• There are a number of shellfish farms in the harbour, and associated designated shellfish waters under European legislation.
• Natural resource extraction occurs within the site, for example, there is an undersea oil drilling operation producing over 16,000 barrels a day.

Recreational activities have been identified within the Dorset Coast Forum’s www.icoast.co.uk, an interactive mapping website to provide information and advice on the facilities, transport, restricted areas and tide times for recreational activities taking place along the Dorset Coast.