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Conservation for the UK’s marine environment took a big step forward yeerstday [Thursday 8th September] as the four regional groups of sea users that form the ‘Marine Conservation Zone Project’ published their final recommendations for new Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs).
Since 2009, the four groups – Balanced Seas, Finding Sanctuary, Irish Sea Conservation Zones and Net Gain – have involved and engaged with a wide range of people who have an interest in the future of our seas; and these stakeholders’ final recommendations for MCZs are the result of two years’ dedicated hard work and collaboration. In total there are 127 recommended MCZs, including 65 areas of high protection known as Reference Areas. Recommended Reference Areas represent just under 2% of the combined area of the 127 recommended MCZs.
These final recommendations will now be reviewed by an independent Science Advisory Panel, the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (for offshore waters) and Natural England (for English territorial waters out to 12 nautical miles). The JNCC and Natural England will advise on the scientific evidence underpinning the recommended MCZs and priorities for protection. Separately, over the coming months, the four groups will also produce detailed assessments on the social, economic and environmental impacts of these recommendations.
Throughout, an independent Science Advisory Panel (SAP) has been providing comments and advice. Peter Ryder, Chairman of the Marine Protected Area Science Advisory Panel, said that the Panel congratulated the four regional projects and their stakeholders on the timely achievement of this important milestone. He said: “We recognise that delivery of the final recommendations for a network of Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs) and their conservation objectives, in English and offshore Welsh waters, has required a huge amount of skilled and difficult work. We will scrutinise the recommendations carefully and, in October, will provide our scientific assessment on the extent to which the resulting composite network of MCZs and existing Marine Protected Areas is likely to achieve the goal of ecological coherence, following designation and implementation.”
In 2012, all final recommendations and advice from the SAP, the JNCC and Natural England will be put forward to the Government which, following a public consultation, will determine which sites are finally designated as MCZs. Decisions about how the sites are managed, and what activities can or cannot take place in MCZs, will be made once designation is confirmed.
By engaging so many people in developing plans for marine protection at the start, this “people to parliament” approach has been innovative, but challenging. Over 2,500 interviews have been conducted with stakeholders and detailed discussions have taken place during the course of 155 stakeholder meetings. Over one million individuals’ interests have been represented through the MCZ stakeholder groups which have enabled marine industries such as fishing, ports and offshore renewable energy to share their views alongside conservationists, landowners and recreational sea users.
The MCZ Project has given a unique insight into the opinions, concerns and valuable knowledge of local people around the country. The MCZ Project, Defra, the JNCC and Natural England would like to thank everyone involved for their incredible commitment and achievement in reaching today’s milestone so successfully.
Marine Minister Richard Benyon said: “The thousands of species of sealife and habitats that live hidden under our waters need just as much protection as those that we can see on land. Today has seen our ambition to put in place special protection areas for marine life off the coast of England, take a significant step forward. I’d like to thank the four regional projects for all the hard work in getting to this stage and I look forward to seeing how the proposals develop over the coming year.”
For ongoing information about the MCZ designation process, sign up to a national newsletter, send an email or visit the websites of Defra, the Joint Nature Conservation Committee and Natural England.
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