The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has announced the creation of 27 Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs) in England.
 
The 27 MCZs include areas such as Pagham Harbour, Blackwater, Crouch, Roach and Colne Estuaries, the Tamar Estuary and the Folkestone Pomerania. A full list of the 27 MCZs can be found on the Defra website. 
 
Paul Rayner, Royal Yachting Association (RYA) member and member of the RYA’s Planning and Environment Committee attended the announcement made by Defra in London said: ‘They have simply designated the areas for Marine Conservation Zones at this stage.

‘Nothing was announced as to what management measures would be put in place for each MCZ that may restrict activity.

‘These will be decided by the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) in partnership with the stakeholders at a local level.’

What will it mean for boaters?

Defra is clear that action will be taken to ensure that the new sites are properly protected from damaging activities, taking into account local needs.

Restrictions will differ from site to site depending on what features the site intends to protect. It states that activities will only be regulated if they cause harm to wildlife or damaging habitats that are being conserved in the MCZ.

Defra has indicated that socio-economic factors (which include leisure boating) are a consideration and that it was the balance between these and the ecological importance of an area which led to the Stour and Orwell not being designated as MCZs.
 
The RYA is pleased that Defra has acknowledged that they should have been clearer from the outset with regard to management measures and that it is looking to take the lessons learned on this point forward into future tranches.

Protecting sea life

Marine Environment Minister George Eustice said: ‘These Marine Conservation Zones will safeguard a wide range of precious sea life from seahorses to oyster beds and our ambitions do not end there.
 
‘This is just the beginning, we plan two further phases over the next three years and work to identify these will begin shortly.’

The Marine Conservation Society (MCS) has welcomed today’s
announcement as ‘a significant step towards stemming the alarming
decline in our rich marine biodiversity, ensuring iconic species such as
the seahorse, black bream and native oyster, and stunning habitats in
places such as Chesil Beach and the Skerries Banks, may be better
protected for future generations’

Melissa Moore, MCS senior policy officer said: ‘This announcement is a significant milestone for marine conservation.

‘We
urge Government to bring forward designation of future tranches to
prevent many threatened seabed habitats being further damaged – these 27
sites represent less than a quarter of the number recommended by
scientists to complete an ‘ecologically coherent’ network.’

What’s next?

A consultation on the next phase of MCZs is expected to be launched in early 2015.
 
Click here for a full list of the 27 designated marine conservation zones

Pictures: A horse mussel with sealoch anemones; a Flame Shell. Credit: Marine Scotland Image Bank

A map showing the 27 MCZs announced today and a map showing the full number of sites that were originally proposed prior to this first tranche of site designations. Credit: MCA