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EMAIL [email protected] TEL 020 3148 4873New MCZs
unlikely to
hamper sailors
‘The fi rst tranche of
MCZs have had little
impact on sailing’
23 new Marine Conservation
Zones (MCZs) have been
designated in English waters.
A round of consultations will
now take place to decide on
the management measures
within the zones before they are
implemented within the next
two years. It is not anticipated
that these will have a signifi cant
impact on the activities of sailors.
The new MCZs form the
second of three tranches to be
designated by the Department
for Environment, Food and Rural
Affairs (Defra). A fi nal third
tranche of MCZs will be consulted
on in 2017 and designated in 2018.
The fi rst tranche saw 27 areas
becoming MCZs in 2013, so that
there are now 50 protected zones
in English waters covering an
area of 7,886 square miles. Wales,
Northern Ireland and Scotland are
establishing similar schemes in
their territorial waters. According
to The Wildlife Trusts, over 9,
people responded to the public
consultation on the new MCZs
between January and April 2015.
In a statement, Defra
said: ‘Marine Conservation
Zones protect a range of
nationally important marine
wildlife, habitats, geology and
geomorphology and were
introduced to halt the
deterioration of the UK’s
marine biodiversity.’
The latest MCZs
range from the Farnes
East site off the coast
of Northumberland
to Land’s End in the
south west. They will
protect 45 different types
of habitat, features and
species including chalk reefs
off the Norfolk coast, pink sea-
fan corals and stalked jellyfi sh.Natural England chairman
Andrew Sells said: ‘This is a
fantastic outcome and brings us
a great step closer to achieving
the ambition of a ‘Blue Belt’- a network of marine areas
protecting wildlife surrounding
the UK.’
British Marine, the UK marine
industry association, has lobbied
to ensure that MCZs
are only designated
on the basis of sound
scientifi c evidence.
Brian Clark,
head of external
relations at British Marine said:
‘Sailors should not be alarmed
about the designation of an
MCZ zone. Depending on the
features being protected, the
management measures within
that zone may not have an impact
on sailors at all, or may only apply
to a small area within the zone.
Management measures in fi rst
tranche MCZs have had little or no
impact on recreational boat users.’Voluntary initiatives
The RYA is also working to
avoid unnecessary regulation.
‘We examined the proposed
management scenarios for
each site and pressed for all
options for voluntary initiatives
to be exhausted prior to
consideration of any statutory
management measures,’ said
Emma Barton, RYA planning and
environmental manager.
Defra began creating a network
of Marine Protected Areas in
September 2011 when 127 sites
were recommended. Marine
environment minister George
Eustice said: ‘As an island nation,123456131417 1615187
8
9101112
19202122231 Coquet to St Mary’s
2 Farnes East
3 Fulmar
4 Runswick Bay
5 Holderness Inshore
6 Cromer Shoal
Chalk Beds
7 The Swale Estuary
8 Dover to Deal
9 Dover to
Folkestone
10 Offshore Brighton
11 Offshore Overfalls
12 Utopia
13 The Needles
14 Western Channel
15 Mounts Bay
16 Runnel Stone
(Land’s End)
17 North-West of
Jones Bank
18 Greater Haig Fras19 Newquay and
The Gannel
20 Hartland Point
to Tintagel
21 Bideford to
Foreland Point
22 West of Walney
23 AllonbyTranche Two Marine Conservation Zones
GRAPHIC: MAXINE HEATHPHOTO: ALAMYThe Needles, at the
western entrance
to The Solent, are
to become an MCZ4 http://www.yachtingmonthly.com MARCH 2016