Marine protection area plans
An independent review is calling for the introduction of Highly Protected Marine Areas (HPMAS) around England and Northern Ireland.
Environmentalists have welcomed the findings of the former environment minister Richard Benyon, who is recommending establishing, for the first time, HPMAS in inshore and offshore English waters and the offshore waters of Northern Ireland. The management of waters off Wales and Scotland is devolved regionally. A spokesman for the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) said the Government would be responding to the Benyon Review in due course.
There are currently 182 designated Marine Protected Areas (MPAS) in England, which include Marine Conservation Zones (MCZS). The review argues that many activities, like dredging, still occur in MPAS, and stronger protection is needed if marine life is to recover.
Initially HPMAS would be set up within existing
MPAS, and the review is suggesting at least five pilot sites including nearshore, inshore and offshore areas.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, no specific locations have been identified, although stakeholders, panel members and DEFRA made recommendations, and the Government is advised to use these as a ‘starting point’ for deciding pilot sites.
The Blackwater, Crouch, Roach and Colne Estuary, Farne Islands, Chichester and Langstone harbours, Portsmouth harbour, Poole harbour, Studland Bay, Lyme Bay and Falmouth have all been recommended.
HPMAS are the strongest form of marine protection. Activities such as anchoring and mooring are banned, unless in emergency situations. Navigation through HPMAS is allowed, but subject to speed and noise restrictions. Dredging and fishing are also prohibited.
The RYA, which supports HPMAS in principle, took part in the review’s call for evidence. Its Environment and Sustainability Manager, Phil Horton, said the impact of boating on UK seas was ‘tiny’ compared to dredging and fishing, and this should be reflected in HPMA restrictions for sailors.
He said the detail of restrictions for any designated site, which was also a popular anchorage, would need careful scrutiny. Concerns would also be raised if a ban on dredging impacted navigation and access for boats, although the RYA supports reducing seabed damage from activities like scallop and aggregate dredging.
‘The RYA understands the need for HPMAS; the question is where they will be located. If they are further offshore then it won’t be a problem as boats can navigate through HPMAS. Inshore sites, where there are conflicting interests, will need to be looked at carefully. The report makes it clear that economic considerations will be a secondary consideration when deciding on sites,’ he explained.
The RYA has suggested the use of eco-moorings outside designated HPMAS, so sailing can continue alongside enhanced protection.
Enforcement is also another issue. The Benyon Review highlighted that for HPMAS to work ‘a combination of appropriate and well-funded management and simple, easily accessible guidance for marine users’ is needed. Early consultation with stakeholders is also required to help increase compliance, and the use of Vessel Monitoring Systems (VMS) could ‘ease the burden of enforcement’.
Horton said VMS relied on AIS, which is not fitted on all recreational boats. He said in Europe, where enforcement patrols are better funded than in the UK, the focus was on education rather than fines, and this should also be the UK’S approach. The RYA is talking to the UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO) and chart and pilot book publishers about providing sailors with more details on protected areas via electronic charts and publications.
Some environmentalists believe HPMAS could be ‘a real step forward for the health of our seas.’
Sailor Sarah Brown, who advises the Scottish Government on marine invasive species, said: ‘The potential of our oceans to support abundant life is huge and far from being ‘no go’ areas, as boaters we would have front row seats as these wildlife havens blossom.’