On land we have long recognised the need to make room
for other species that share our living space. In the South West we are proud to have two of England’s finest National Parks at Exmoor and Dartmoor that benefit and promote wildlife as well as educating, inspiring and providing enjoyment for people. However, we have only recently recognised that the sea also needs a similar level of protection.
The seas around Britain are suffering from the cumulative effects of destructive and intensive commercial fishing, climate change, pollution, development and dredging.
The effects are clear in the damage to seabed habitats, the poor catches of some fish species and the loss of diverse marine communities.
In particular we have lost any sense of what the sea should look like and have long forgotten the age of thriving and productive coastal and marine ecosystems.
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