Since its inception in 1983, MCS has campaigned for UK seas to be better protected by using Marine Protected Areas. It is indisputable from scientific evidence, that well-managed MPAs increase biodiversity of marine life, and lead to the recovery of some fisheries. When set up in combination with more 'traditional' quota/effort-based management tools for fisheries, they can be very successful at managing the ecosystem in a sustainable way. Without well-managed MPAs, MCS believes that our marine ecosystems won't recover to anything approaching their natural state prior to man's significant impact on marine ecosystems which commenced with the advent of industrial trawling about 120 years ago.
Definitions of 'Marine Protected Area' and 'Highly Protected Marine Reserve'
1. Marine Protected Area
A Marine Protected Area (or MPA) is an umbrella term for any area of sea designated for the protection of a particular biological, physical or geomorphological feature or combination of features. Activities such as fishing, dredging and construction within an MPA are managed to reduce their impact on protected features with the site, but are not necessarily prohibited.
2. Highly Protected Marine Reserve or Marine Reserve
A Highly Protected Marine Reserves (HPMR) is one type of MPA where extractive or damaging activities such as fishing, construction, dredging and oil and gas extraction are prohibited from the outset to avoid any damage or modification to the site and its features.
Current UK MPAs
Currently (up until 2008), the UK has only:
2 No-take zones (Lundy, Devon and Arran, Clyde, Scotland)
3 national marine nature reserves (Lundy - Devon; Strangord Lough - Northern Ireland; and Skomer - Wales)
72 European marine sites
A number of European coastal sites designated for bird conservation.
Controlling fishing in current UK MPAs:
The stark truth of our current MPAs is that all but 2 allow some form of damaging or extractive activity. Only two of the sites (Lundy Island in North Devon and Lamlash Bay in Scotland) contain within their boundaries No Take Zones (very similar to HPMRs). The other 70-odd MPAs are multi-use sites, which allow some form of fishing to take place.
At present, it is very difficult to restrict fishing in protected areas because fisheries management bodies (Sea Fisheries Committees and the Scottish Government) are also required to make decisions to prevent fishing for the benefit of conservation. This results in a conflict of interest where the commercial interests of fishermen is weighted against the conservation of habitats and species.
MCS believes that the nature conservation experts (e.g. Natural England or Countryside Council for Wales) should have stronger powers to control damaging activies in protected areas - but this is not so. After all, the Bank of England sets the interest rates, NOT the chancellor of the Exchequer, for the very reason that the Chancellor could be influenced by short-term political gain than the long-term good of the economy.
You can get involved by:
1. Joining our campaign for Highly Protected Marine Reserves
MCS campaigned with BSAC and UK public aquaria from March 2007 - March 2008 for government to implement a network of HPMRs to be set up as a result of the UK marine bill. If you want to add your voice, vote online at www.marinereservesnow.org.uk. See links to the right of this page to the campaign.
2. Let us know where you want to see MPAs - The 'Your Seas, Your Voice':
Have your say on where you want to see protected sites set up. Fill in our online questionnaire which will inform us of where MPAs should be located around UK coasts.
3. Dive to conserve:
Seasearch is a national project co-ordinated by us where you can learn to identify marine species and habitats, and contribute to our knowledge of where future MPAs could be located.
