Where the wild things are

The reasons behind Highly Protected Marine Areas

Highly Protected Marine Areas (HPMA) are a form of aquatic rewilding, a near complete ban on any potentially harmful human activity in a given area with the aim of allowing biodiversity to recover to a “mature” state.

The policy is a major plank of the Government’s response to the 2019 Benyon Review, and other evidence, which found England’s maritime environment is “not in a healthy state”.

Five pilot areas have been proposed. As well as the coast around Holy Island, they are Allonby Bay, Cumbria, and three offshore sites, one at Dolphin Head in the Channel and the others in the North Sea.

About 40 per cent of the sea around England is designated as marine protected areas to protect discrete species and habitats while allowing sustainable.

But according to Defra, these are not working well enough, requiring a far more comprehensive restriction to human activity in some areas.

In HPMAs, any “destructive and depositional” activities will be prohibited, including any commercial or recreational fishing, dredging, construction or anchoring.

The Benyon Review conceded that it could have a devastating impact on the fishing industry, and in particular smaller fishing businesses.

But it predicted a benefit from increased tourism.

Rebecca Pow, the environment minister, said: “HPMAs will help a wide range of valuable habitats and species to fully recover … allowing the marine environment to thrive.”

A consultation on the pilot sites is scheduled to run until Sept 28.

Defra will then publish a summary of responses and a full impact assessment.

Ultimately, ministers will decide which sites to designate by July 2023.