Second tranche of Marine Conservation Zones announced

Defra announces the 37 English sites under consideration for inclusion in consultation

Tranche 2 of MCZs in English waters

At a meeting on 24 February the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) announced the sites which are under consideration for the second tranche (T2) of Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs) in England.
 
37 sites are being considered for inclusion in T2 which cover both inshore and offshore sites right around the English coast.
 
Alana Murphy, the RYA’s Planning and Environmental Officer who was present at the meeting said “This list is just an early indication of those sites that might be in the public consultation for the second tranche due to take place early next year, with designation planned to take place by the end of 2015”.
 
Defra is currently gathering further evidence on the proposed sites and during the year will consult with the different sectors, including the recreational boating sector, on management measures. Defra plans to include an indication of what the management measures could be and what activities could be restricted in the public consultation.
 
“We are pleased that Defra is applying the lessons learned from the first tranche of MCZs and including the management measures in the consultation.
 
“However, several of the inshore sites included on this list may be of concern to the RYA, depending on the proposed management measures. We will now be working with RYA members and clubs to review all the evidence we originally submitted in 2012 and will discuss these concerns with Defra,” concludes Alana.
 
The first tranche (T1) of 27 MCZs were designated in November 2013 and consideration of management measures for these zones is currently underway.
 
You can read more information on MCZs and the RYA’s position at www.rya.org.uk/go/currentaffairs.
 
Sites under consideration for the second tranche of MCZs

  1. Coquet to St Mary’s
  2. Fulmar
  3. Compass Rose
  4. Cromer Shoal Chalk Beds
  5. Dover to Deal
  6. Offshore Brighton
  7. Utopia
  8. Norris to Ryde
  9. The Needles
  10. Western Channel
  11. Lands End
  12. Great Haig Fras
  13. Hartland Point to Tintagel
  14. North of Lundy
  15. Celtic Deep
  16. Mid St George’s Channel
  17. Slieve Na Griddle
  18. West of Walney
  19. Allonby Bay
  20. Farnes East
  21. Runswick Bay
  22. Holderness Inshore
  23. The Swale Estuary
  24. Dover to Folkestone
  25. Offshore Overfalls
  26. Bembridge
  27. Yarmouth to Cowes
  28. Studland Bay
  29. Mounts Bay
  30. North-West of Jones Bank
  31. Newquay and The Gannel
  32. Bideford to Foreland Point
  33. South of Celtic Deep
  34. East of Celtic Deep
  35. North St George’s Channel
  36. South Rigg
  37. Mud Hole