Today the Marine Conservation Society (MCS) launches the Marine LBAP* Guidance Manual for England, a one-stop shop for advice to help conservationists and local authorities protect England’s threatened marine biodiversity. The pioneering manual provides maps, information and guidelines for action to protect 24 threatened marine wildlife species and habitats in UK waters and is the first document of its kind.

The Manual has been three years in the making, with support from Natural England and Defra, and was compiled by MCS Biodiversity Policy Officer Dr Jean Luc Solandt using expert advice and information from leading conservationists throughout the UK. The species included in the manual range from migratory species such as whales, dolphins, basking sharks and turtles, to lesser know species such as the fanshell (a huge mollusc that is larger than a dinner plate) and the exquisite pink seafan (delicate, fan-shaped soft coral, closely related to species found on tropical reefs).

"We have neglected our productive seas and their magnificent wildlife for far too long, and have only paid lip-service to the UK’s commitments under international agreements to protect our marine biodiversity", said Dr Jean-Luc Solandt, MCS Biodiversity Policy Officer, "This manual is the definitive guide to help the relevant authorities start protecting our marine resources, although this conservation work must be carried out in parallel with the establishment of a network of marine reserves throughout our seas".

The Convention on Biodiversity, the European Commission and the UK Government have all called for biodiversity loss to be halted and reversed by 2010, only one year from now. Sadly there has been little progress towards this target in the UK marine environment, where 22 marine vertebrates are included on the Red List of Threatened Species, compared to only three UK terrestrial vertebrates. Almost all of the species and habitats outlined in the new MCS manual are highly threatened.

With the inclusion of the Marine and Coastal Access Bill in this November’s Queen’s Speech, MCS is hopeful that legislation will soon be passed to provide for the establishment of a network of ’Marine Conservation Zones’ to allow UK marine biodiversity to recover from centuries of heavy exploitation. MCS (along with the Coop group) is calling for a total of 30% of UK seas to eventually be set aside as Highly Protected Marine Reserves by 2020 to ensure recovery of threatened wildlife and their habitats. Whilst the establishment of marine reserves is vital to the protection of our marine wildlife, the new Manual will provide key information to help local authorities fulfil their obligations under the recent Natural Environment and Rural Communities (NERC) Act and mitigate against threats to marine wildlife both inside and outside the marine reserve network.

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Download a PDF showing the Fanshell distribution around the British Isles

For a copy of the manual, more information and photographs contact: Dr Jean-Luc Solandt
Marine Conservation Society (MCS),
Unit 3, Wolf Business Park, Alton Rd, Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire HR9 5NB
Tel: 01989 566017, 07793 118 387 Fax: 01989 567815 E-mail: jls@mcsuk.org ; www.mcsuk.org

Editor’s notes:


The Marine Conservation Society (MCS) is the UK charity dedicated to the protection of our seas, shores and wildlife. MCS campaigns for clean seas and beaches, sustainable fisheries, protection of marine life and their habitats, and the sensitive use of our marine resources. Through education, community involvement and collaboration, MCS raises awareness of the many threats that face our seas and promotes individual, industry and government action to protect the marine environment. MCS provides information and guidance on many aspects of marine conservation and produces the annual Good Beach Guide (www.goodbeachguide.co.uk ), the Good Fish Guide and www.fishonline.org on sustainable seafood, as well as promoting public participation in volunteer projects and surveys such as Beachwatch, Adopt-a-Beach, Seasearch and Basking Shark Watch. www.mcsuk.org.

* Local Biodiversity Action Plans are written by local consortia of conservationists and local authorities in order to protect UK biodiversity at the local level. Up until now, these plans have neglected many marine species and habitats adjacent to their shores. The manual introduces key threatened habitats and species with 19 maps to illustrate their distribution in UK seas. The second section of the manual divides England up into five regions– southwest; southeast; east; northeast and northwest to illustrate the different biodiversity in these different regions, and the relevant organisations that need to act to protect UK biodiversity. The manual concludes with case studies illustrating best practice for conserving marine biodiversity. Many simple methods to protect these species are outlined in the manual, which can be introduced immediately (e.g. release of endangered skate and ray species by anglers; reduction in the spatial use and intensity of bottom fishing in sensitive areas).

The manual illustrates much of the guidance published in the UK Biodiversity Action Plan (1999) marine guidance www.ukbap.org.uk in an accessible form for the marine environment. The manual was produced because the Marine Conservation Society, Government, and Natural England realized that there was a mismatch between the knowledge of lead partners (conservationists) and marine resource users (fishermen; ports; shipping companies; aggregate companies; developers).

The NERC Act (2008) confers a duty on all public bodies to have regard to biodiversity when exercising their functions. MCS calls on public bodies to use the manual to identify key threatened marine species and habitats within their jurisdiction and follow the manual’s advice in order to mitigate against any threats to these species and habitats when planning and managing potentially damaging activities.

The most cost-effective and simple method to allow recovery of marine wildlife is to protect large areas of sea from extractive use, establishing protected areas close together to allow exchange and settlement of larvae and juveniles. The UK Marine and Coastal Access Bill recently announced in the Queen’s Speech will provide legislation for the establishment and management of new protected areas at sea (these will be called Marine Conservation Zones).

MCS with the Coop group is calling for 30% of UK seas to be protected in no-take Highly Protected Marine Reserves by 2020 in order for wildlife, species, habitats and ecosystems to recover. www.marinereservesnow.org.uk.