MCS campaigns as Marine Bill goes through

Launching its campaign in London the MCS, backed by the Co-operative Group, described the sites, set all over Britain, as the "the Jewels in the Crown" of UK marine wildlife sites.

Its choice for statutorily protected Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs) has been based on six years of survey by divers, including volunteers of the Seasearch group.

If successfully designated, the zones would increase the area of statutorily protected British waters from 0.005 per cent (6sq km) to 0.14 per cent (212sq km).

The MCS’s campaign, Your Seas Your Voice, also invites the public to recommend any other areas which they think should be considered for protective measures. This can be done via the MCS website.

Ultimately the MCS wants to see up to 30 per cent of British waters protected from over-fishing, aggregrates extraction and other harmful activities.

MCZs can be fully protected as No-Take Zones, in which any form of depletion is banned; or as Highly Protected, allowing controlled levels of take.

At the launch Miranda Krestovnikoff, who presents the BBC’s Coast programme, said that Britain’s underwater world was “as spectacular as anywhere in the world”.

A passionate UK-waters diver who has worked with survey teams all over the country, she was in no doubt that, after years of over-exploitation, marine reserves in the UK “are needed – they really do allow wildlife to recover and thrive”.

Dr Jean-Luc Solandt, MCS Biodiversity Policy Officer, explained the Your Seas Your Voice web link, accessed through the MCS website. It outlines the MCS zones campaign, the work that lies behind it, and how the public can get involved.

Meanwhile, other ways in which to get involved are likely to take off, now that the Marine and Coastal Access Bill became a working Act after receiving its Royal Assent in the House of Lords yesterday.

The Marine Conservation Zone Project, established by Defra, Natural England and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee, allows maritime stakeholders and other members of the public to join the debate over MCZs.

The MCZ Project is being run through four regional organisations - Finding Sanctuary (South West), based in Topsham; Balanced Seas (South East), in Canterbury; Irish Sea Conservation Zones (Irish Sea), in Warrington; and Net Gain (North Sea), in Hull.

The broad public has until mid-2010 to participate. After that, the MCZ Project groups will continue to work with maritime stakeholders for another year, before reporting to the Government in October 2011.

That will also be the date by which the Marine Conservation Society will need to present to the Government full evidence supporting its 73-site proposal for MCZs, along with any other areas put forward by respondents.

The Government has committed to introducing a network of MCZs by 2012.

British waters can also receive protection as European Marine Sites, under EU legislation.

Related links
MCS
Finding Sanctuary
Balanced Seas
Irish Sea Conservation Zones
Net Gain
MCZ Projects explained