{"id":29814,"date":"2023-08-24T12:23:49","date_gmt":"2023-08-24T10:23:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/?post_type=purple_issue&p=29814"},"modified":"2023-08-24T12:23:48","modified_gmt":"2023-08-24T10:23:48","slug":"hamza-and-the-hope-spot","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/2023\/08\/24\/hamza-and-the-hope-spot\/","title":{"rendered":"Hamza and the Hope Spot"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"
Hamza Yassin with border collie Midge near his home in Kilchoan on the Ardnamurchan peninsula, where he has lived for 13 years<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

<\/p>\n\n

Hamza and the Hope Spot<\/h2>\n\n

Hope Spots are springing up around the world \u2013 but what are they? Countryfile <\/em>presenter and wildlife cameraman Hamza Yassin <\/strong>lives in the heart of one in Argyll, literally on the \u2018spot\u2019. Here\u2019s what he found <\/p>\n\n

Words: Megan Shersby<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

<\/p>\n\n

A<\/span>long<\/span><\/strong> the west coast of Scotland, a section of the coastline and oceans is being highlighted as a place of wonder \u2013 and held up as a beacon of hope. Earlier this year, a Countryfile <\/em>episode covered the Argyll coastline in the west of Scotland and its designation as the first Hope Spot in mainland UK. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n

Selected by Mission Blue, the non-profit organisation founded by the renowned marine biologist and oceanographer Sylvia Earle, Hope Spots are ocean and coastal locations that have been identified as particularly special places. <\/p>\n\n

Hope Spots are championed by local communities and conservation charities, and form a network of marine protected areas across the world. To date, there are 154 Hope Spots, which cover an area of more than 57 million square kilometres of ocean. Other well-known Hope Spots include the Gal\u00e1pagos Islands and Australia\u2019s Great Barrier Reef. <\/p>\n\n

And who better to present this celebration of Argyll than local resident and new Countryfile <\/em>presenter Hamza Yassin? Having moved to Ardnamurchan a few years ago, Yassin has fallen for the area and its wildlife, and loves sharing them with the nation on Sunday nights. <\/p>\n\n

When Countryfile <\/em>covered the Hope Spot, it honed in on a couple of key species \u2013 including the enormous and relatively unknown flapper skate. Once referred to as the common skate, taxonomy work revealed that there were actually two distinct species \u2013 one which was then named the flapper skate, and the other named the blue skate. <\/p>\n\n

\u201cI wanted to cover the species that people are not going to likely see. And most people have never heard of a flapper skate,\u201d he explains enthusiastically. <\/p>\n\n

\u201cThese rays are huge \u2013 massive! Three metres in length, that\u2019s bigger than me! We don\u2019t know how many there are. And most people wouldn\u2019t know about them because they\u2019re under the water in our seas \u2013 it\u2019s out of sight, out of mind for most people.\u201d <\/p>\n\n

\"\"
Hamza looks out over Kilchoan Bay, as a CalMac ferry crosses between the distant Isle of Mull on the right and mainland Scotland <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

<\/p>\n\n

HEART OF THE COMMUNITY <\/strong><\/h5>\n\n

Part of the importance, and strength, of the Argyll Coast and Islands Hope Spot are the community-led projects to protect and improve the marine habitats, as well as bringing social and economic benefits. For Countryfile, <\/em>Hamza interviewed marine biologist and diver Chris Rickard who volunteers on a citizen science project to undertake a monthly survey for flapper skate eggcases, also known as mermaid\u2019s purses. With his usual charm and passion, Hamza is thrilled to see the fresh newly laid eggcase that Chris, and his fellow diver Marnik Van Cauter from the local rewilding project at Kilchoan Estate, bring up from the seabed.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

Could a Hope Spot be designated elsewhere in the UK? Our island nation is surrounded by famous wild marine places that are held dear by many. But Hamza points to what it is about the Argyll Hope Spot that is so exceptional. <\/p>\n\n

\u201cThe range of species that live here is phenomenal \u2013 it\u2019s beautiful, and it\u2019s remote\u201d <\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n

<\/p>\n\n

\u201cThe range of different species that lives here is phenomenal, it\u2019s beautiful, and it\u2019s remote. One of the things that makes Argyll so special is because there\u2019s nobody here. If you think about the density of where people live in Scotland, so many people are in either Glasgow, Inverness or Edinburgh. I would have also said west coast of Wales, it\u2019s just that so many people live there and visit there. And I think in Scotland\u2019s west coast, most people have Mother Nature in mind because they work off the land. Whether you\u2019re a fisherman, or a crofter, or working in forestry or on the ferries.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n

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Hamza points towards Arasaig and the hills beyond<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

<\/p>\n\n

\"\"
In 2022, Hamza famously won the BBC\u2019s Strictly Come Dancing<\/em> Glitterball Trophy with professional dancer Jowita Przystal<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n

<\/p>\n\n

INTO THE WILD <\/strong><\/h5>\n\n

To Countryfile <\/em>and Strictly Come Dancing <\/em>viewers, Hamza Yassin is a familiar face. Born in Sudan, he moved to the UK with his parents in the 1990s, when they came to work as doctors here. The family settled in Northamptonshire, but after finishing university, he ended up living in Ardnamurchan \u2013 a remote peninsula on the western coast of Scotland. <\/p>\n\n

His life-changing move to Ardnamurchan, more than 400 miles from his parents in Northamptonshire, is due to a university friend who had invited him to join a family holiday. <\/p>\n\n

\u201cI said \u2018yeah, maybe next time\u2019 and I always made excuses,\u201d Yassin says. \u201cI went round to their house and they had a picture of a red stag hanging up on the wall. I asked them where they took it, and they said, \u2018Oh, Ardnamurchan, where we\u2019ve been telling you about. And we took it with a mobile phone, and it was right by the side of the car\u2019.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n

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Scouring the skies with binoculars on the sand dunes of Sanna Bay <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

<\/p>\n\n

Two weeks later, he joined them there, fell in love with the peninsula and has never looked back. However, pursuing his dream and moving to Ardnamurchan took a step of boldness and determination that is beyond most people. Having not long finished his Masters degree in Biological Photography and Imaging at Nottingham Trent University, he packed his bags and drove up to the peninsula, where he then lived out of his car for nine months, eating at the local pub where he used the internet to speak to his parents. <\/p>\n\n

\u201cI lied through the skin of my teeth, telling them that I was living in a beautiful cottage but it had no internet or signal,\u201d he confesses. <\/p>\n\n

What did the local community make of this keen young whippersnapper, camping out on the pier in his car and disappearing into the hills to track down and film wildlife? Remote communities are not always the most welcoming to newcomers. But it turns out there was nothing to be worried about: \u201cThe people have been so accommodating and helpful, there\u2019s nothing that I can do to repay them. Living out on the west coast is such a community-led place, which reminded me of when I lived in Africa.\u201d <\/p>\n\n

\u201cLiving out on the west coast is such a community-led place, which reminded me of Africa\u201d <\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n

<\/p>\n\n

Hamza humbly reveals that in summer he chops roughly 25 tonne of firewood with a chainsaw and axe for his neighbours, keen to ensure they will be warm in the coming winter. Hamza has not been presenting as long as some of the other Countryfile <\/em>team members, but his knowledge, joy and skills have endeared him to the programme\u2019s producers and viewers alike \u2013 and that\u2019s without mentioning his winning appearance on Strictly Come Dancing <\/em>last year. He has stepped up to becoming a judge for the Countryfile <\/em>Calendar competition, and his latest book, Be a Birder, <\/em>is published this month. He\u2019s a firm fixture in the world of natural-history television, and long may that be.<\/p>\n\n

<\/p>\n\n

<\/div>
\n

WILDLIFE OF THE HOPE SPOT<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Six key species in the Argyll Coast and Islands Hope Spot<\/p>\n\n\n\n


<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n


Black guillemot<\/strong>
Cepphus grylle <\/em>
Less widespread in the UK than its cousin the common guillemot, the black guillemot has a striking white band on its wings when in its summer breeding plumage, and bright red feet. This attractive auk feeds on fish and crustaceans, and is usually spotted alone, in pairs or in small groups.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n


Basking shark<\/strong>
Cetorhinus maximus <\/em>
One of the best places globally to see the basking shark is around the islands of Coll, Tiree and Mull between May and October. The second-largest fish species in the world, after the record-breaking whale shark, it can measure up to 12m in length and is thought to live to around 50 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n


Flapper skate<\/strong>
Dipturus intermedius<\/em>
The flapper skate is one of the world\u2019s largest skate species, and is listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List. In Argyll, flapper skates are tagged and photographed to monitor their movements, while egg cases are being recorded to better understand their distribution and where they breed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n


Seagrass<\/strong>
Zostera marina<\/em>
Seagrass meadows are being replanted around the UK, and these underwater meadows could be a vital tool in fighting climate change. Seagrass meadows can absorb and store carbon dioxide 35 times fast than a tropical rainforest. These meadows also provide food and a home to a variety of other species.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n


European native oyster<\/strong>
Ostrea edulis<\/em>
Also known as the European flat oyster, the native oyster has declined by 95% in the UK since the 19th century. However, there\u2019s good news, with conservationists restoring the species across UK and Ireland \u2013 including off the Argyll coast. This ecosystem engineer cleans water and forms complex structures that benefit other species.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n


Serpulid worms<\/strong>
Serpulidae spp<\/em>
In Scottish lochs, serpulid worms are a little unusual. They grow together to form reefs, instead of the usual individual growth seen elsewhere. These reefs are ideal habitats for other animals to live, such as crabs and starfish; one survey of a reef measuring 0.1 metre square found that it supported 163 different species. <\/p>\n<\/div><\/section>\n\n

<\/p>\n\n

\n\n

Catch Hamza on Countryfile, <\/em>Sundays on BBC One.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n

\n\n

<\/p>\n\n

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Photo: RSPB Images, Alamy <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n


Megan Shersby is a naturalist and freelance science and nature writer, based in Northamptonshire. She\u2019s also an occasional host on the Plodcast.<\/p>\n\n

<\/p>\n\n

<\/p>\n\n

<\/p>\n\n

<\/p>\n\n

Photos: Alex Trowski\/alextrowski.com, Alamy, Getty, BBC\/Guy Levy<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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