Protection for UK seas comes a step closer
Protection for key nature sites in UK seas has come a step closer with the recent unveiling of proposals to create potentially as many as 127 Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs).
The zones range from tiny stretches of coastline to large tracts of sea floor.
The sites have been selected through government-appointed regional projects, with industry and other stakeholders selecting sites that are ecologically important, but also considered acceptable on socio-economic grounds. The proposals stem from the 2009 UK Marine Bill and cover seas abutting the English coast and waters around Wales more than 12 miles from the coast.
They will be assessed by an expert panel before the government makes its final decision, probably next year.
The panel will also have to finalise levels of protection in each zone, as the Marine Bill allows regulators a lot of flexibility in what to prohibit (such as fishing) for which periods of the year.
If all proposals are approved, just over a quarter of English waters would end up under some kind of protection. Currently, the total is way under 1%.
The zones are also supposed to be designed in such a way as to leave room for other activities such as industries and recreation.
Biodiversity data provided by the voluntary, commercial and public sector were crucial to the development of the recommendations for the network of Marine Conservation Zones. We look forward to displaying the MCZ boundaries on the NBN Gateway when Government accepts these stakeholder recommendations and designates the network in 2012.
Read more about Marine Conservation Zones a project being led by Natural England and the JNCC
Scotland’s Marine Bill was passed last year, so Scottish bids for protected areas are expected to materialise next year. The Northern Ireland assembly has still to legislate.