Lundy is currently the only Marine Conservation Zone (MCZ)  in the south-west. It became an MCZ through a special provision in the Marine and Coastal Access Act.

The Finding Sanctuary Steering Group, made up of a range of stakeholder interests will identify further MCZs for the south-west area and put their recommendations forward to Natural England and the JNCC in June 2011. A list of Steering Group representatives is available on the Steering Group page.

In planning MCZs, the Steering Group must meet the Ecological Network Guidance (ENG) set out by Natural England and the JNCC. The Steering Group will take socio-economic interests into account so as to minimise negative impacts to people.

Natural England and the JNCC will combine the recommendations of the four regional projects and submit them to Defra. Following a public consultation run by Defra, ministers will take the final decision on which MCZs to designate. If the recommendations are supported by a wide range of stakeholders, and comply with the Ecological Network Guidance then the Government is likely to adopt them and give them legal status.

The Steering Group's progress in planning MCZs is documented through progress reports. The Steering Group will submit three Progress Reports to the Science Advisory Panel for feedback before their final recommendations are submitted. The latest Progress Reports are available on the Resources page.

The term Marine Protected Area (MPA) has been used to describe a wide range of marine areas which have some level of restriction to protect living, non-living, cultural and/or historic resources.

The MPAs that Finding Sanctuary will be selecting are called Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs); these sites are a requirement under the Marine and Coastal Access Act which received Royal Assent on 12th November 2009.

It is important to realise that several types of MPA already exist in England; these include Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) for habitats of European importance, Special Protection Areas (SPAs) for birds, Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) for nationally important habitats and species, and Ramsar sites for wetlands of international importance. Together with MCZs, these existing protected sites will help to form a UK wide network of Marine Protected Areas.

Our aim for the MPA network is to conserve ecosystems and biodiversity, and create an ecologically coherent network whilst minimising the economic and social impacts. This can only be achieved through the active participation of stakeholders throughout the south-west. Stakeholders will have the opportunity to be involved in identifying potential MCZs and their boundaries and developing the conservation objectives for sites (which will dictate the level of protection afforded to their constituent features).

Finding Sanctuary recognises that the process for selecting Natura 2000 sites (also known as European Marine Sites) does not allow stakeholder engagement and participation in designating sites. That is why the approach we are taking for MCZs is so different.

It is intended to designate MCZs by late 2012. It is possible some MCZs will be designated after this date, for example where issues surrounding designation are particularly complex or controversial, where further survey is required to confirm the site’s conservation value or in order to fill gaps in the coverage of the network. The ecological coherence and condition of the network will also be kept under review after 2012, which may require further sites to be designated from time to time. The EC Marine Strategy Framework Directive sets out obligations on Member States towards attaining Good Environment Status of the marine environment by 2020. MPAs are identified as a required measure to help achieve this target and therefore further MCZs may be designated ahead of the 2020 deadline if required.

Most MCZs will not be no take zones, but some activities are likely to have to be restricted in them.  Some MCZs will be multi-use areas where many activities including less damaging fishing activities will be allowed to continue. Other restrictions could include no anchor areas or new speed limits. There is no presumption that any particular human activity will be restricted.

Any restrictions placed on an MCZ will be decided on a site by site basis, and will depend on the species and habitats for which a site is designated.

In some MCZs, known as MCZ Reference Areas, all damaging activities will be prohibited. These are likely to be in the minority as opposed to the majority. See the FAQ below for more information on Reference Areas.

Reference Areas are highly protected Marine Conservation Zones where all extraction, deposition or human-derived disturbance is removed or prevented.  Each main habitat type and species listed in the Ecological Network Guidance should be included within at least one viable Reference Area within the Finding Sanctuary project area. 

Natural England and the JNCC have provided Finding Sanctuary with draft guidance on Reference Areas. This document provides more detail about which activities are likely to be restricted within Reference Areas, and which activities could continue. The draft guidance document can be read here.

The activities that are restricted will vary from one Marine Conservation Zone (MCZ) to another and will be dependent upon the conservation objectives for the site. It is impossible to say at present which precise activities will be restricted in which areas and to what degree. It is, however, likely that most uses of the marine environment around the UK will be restricted in some way by the introduction of MCZs.

As part of its recommendations to Government, the Steering Group will also make assumptions on what activities should and should not be restricted within each MCZ. These assumptions will be based on national guidance provided by Natural England and the JNCC around what activities cause pressures to different species and habitats.

The regional Stakeholder Groups have also been asked to identify possible options for management measures and these will be reflected in the impact assessments which need to accompany their proposals for MCZs.

Some MCZs will be highly protected – these are known as Reference Areas. For more information about which activities are likely to be restricted in these areas see the Marine Conservation Zone Reference Area guidance produced by Natural England and the JNCC.

Your information will have been included in Finding Sanctuary’s sea user activity maps. The latest versions of these maps can be found in the Resources section under the ‘General’ tab.  If you have any questions about these maps and what they represent please contact Shaun Lewin.

These maps are being used by the Steering Group and the Working Groups in the planning of MCZs, to try to reduce any impacts to sea users.

Finding Sanctuary has submitted three progress reports and three iterations of the Impacts Assessment to the Science Advisory Panel (SAP). The first was submitted on the 30th June 2010, the second on the 30th October 2010 and the third on the 28th February 2011. The progress reports are a snapshot of the Working Groups’ work so far, along with additional comments and feedback from the Steering Group.

The third progress report contained 54 potential MCZs located in both the inshore (within 12 nautical miles) and offshore (outside of 12nautical miles). The majority of pMCZs meet the minimum viable size and connectivity guidelines. All subtidal broad-scale habitats listed in national targets and present in the region have been met. Eight out of 10 intertidal broad-scale habitats detailed in our national targets are represented in the developing network and the two habitats not represented both have very limited distribution in the region. The developing network has achieved good replication of species of conservation importance. Some of these species have very few or no records in the region, so some of the targets for replication cannot be met. The developing network has achieved good replication of habitats of conservation importance and with limited records in our region, some of these can’t be included within our network of MCZs. All three geological and geomorphological features of importance that fall within our region are represented within the DNC.

Since this report there has been two 2 day Joint Working Group meetings where a lot of progress has been made. As of our working group meeting at the beginning of April the current network has 30 inshore potential MCZs (pMCZs) – these are within 12 nautical miles (nm) (we have counted the Isles of Scilly pMCZs as one however there are a number of small pMCZs within the area); 12 offshore pMCZS – outside the 12nm; 9 inshore reference areas and 4 offshore reference areas. Reference areas are sites where “all extraction, deposition or human-derived disturbance is removed or prevented”. Activities that do not extract, deposit or disturb the feature to be protected may be allowed to continue in reference areas. Commercial fishing representatives have stated clearly that they do not support reference areas and we not actively suggest any during planning discussions.

Over the last few months of the project the working group will finalise the network and supporting narrative. The project team will work with the SNCBs to determine activity restrictions. The activity restrictions within each pMCZ will depend on the feature being protected. A conservation objective will be drawn up for each feature to be protected within a pMCZ. A vulnerability assessment will be carried out which will determine pressures currently impacting features to be protected, and the activities causing those pressures. The outcome of the vulnerability assessment will determine which activities need to be restricted.

The project team will produce a draft final report at the start of June which will be the basis for the final recommendation.

The Steering Group will meet again in July to review and sign off the final recommendations produced by the Joint Working Group.

Final recommendations are given to Natural England and the JNCC in June 2011.

Natural England and the JNCC will then combine the four regional MCZ project outputs into one recommendation to Defra.

Following a public consultation, Defra ministers will designate sites in 2012.The latest progress reports, impact assessments and feedback from the Science Advisory Panel can be read in the Resources section of our website. A full project timeline can be downloaded here. 

If you have advice or concerns about a particular site you should contact your representative on the Steering Group.

Visit the Steering Group pages of the website to find out who your representative is and how to contact them. Your representative should then ensure that any advice or concerns is put in front of the Working Group for the group to consider during their planning of MCZs.

By involving stakeholders in the selection and designation of the Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs), Finding Sanctuary hopes to achieve a high level of support and compliance for any management measures that might be required to achieve the conservation objectives. However, all types of Marine Protected Area will be protected by law, and the Marine and Coastal Access Act includes a suite of enforcement powers which can be used by officers enforcing this legislation.

The new Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authorities (IFCAs), the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) and the Royal Navy will undertake most enforcement work, although the Act allows for officers from other organisations to be warranted for this purpose. The Impact Assessment prepared by Defra for the Marine and Coastal Access Act estimated the additional costs associated with the enforcement of MCZs will be up to £1million per year. The relevant organisations will receive appropriate funding for the new work they have been given under the Act.

Not all Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs) will be vulnerable to fishing activities, although achieving the conservation objectives for some MCZs may depend on restricting damaging fishing activities. Where a need for additional fisheries measures is identified for MCZs between 6 and 12 nautical miles, the Government will work with other Member States and the European Commission to seek their agreement to measures, so that they apply to all fishing vessels regardless of nationality. Beyond 12 nautical miles, the Government will work with the European Commission through the Common Fisheries Policy to deliver any additional fisheries measures that are required.
 

When an MCZ is designated, notice of the designation will be sent to organisations and individuals who are considered likely to have an interest in or be affected by the designation and a notice will be published in a way most likely to bring it to the attention of such people, for example in a local newspaper.

There will be a wide range of forms of communication as needed for all stakeholders i.e. email newsletters to those that have subscribed to our newsletter service, media, displays at events, leaflets etc. The provision of public information for local residents and visitors will depend on local circumstances and will need to be considered on a site-by-site basis. Information will also be made available on the internet and in other appropriate ways, the aim being to ensure that members of the public can easily and quickly obtain information.

Stakeholders are involved in the Finding Sanctuary project at all levels.

Over 240,000 west country sea users have had their views represented as part of Finding Sanctuary’s sea user activity mapping to date. Our figures include people who were interviewed individually and members of clubs whose views were represented in interviews with the head of their organisation. This data collection work finished at the end of October 2010 and has fed into the maps of sea user activity that are being used by the Steering Group and Working Groups to plan MCZs.

Regional and national stakeholder representatives are actively planning Marine Conservation Zones through the Steering Group and its Working Groups.

Local stakeholder representatives input in to the planning of Marine Conservation Zones through the Local Groups. Outputs of the Local Group meetings are fed into the Working Groups. The Local Groups have been instrumental in providing initial site suggestions, many of which have been adopted by the Working Groups if their developing proposals.

Finally some stakeholders have requested to be Named Consultative Stakeholders- they play a less intensive role in the development of MCZ recommendations, but are asked for their views on the developing proposal at key stages.
 
The MPA Stakeholder Forum, coordinated by the JNCC, enables national and international stakeholders to keep up to date with developing MCZ proposals.
 
 

Once an MCZ is designated, the statutory nature conservation bodies will provide advice to all public authorities who carry out activities or regulate the activities of others (such as the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) and Inshore Fishery and Conservation Authorities (IFCA)). All public authorities have a legal duty to further the conservation objectives for MCZs in exercising their functions, as far as is consistent with the proper exercise of those functions. Where that is not possible, they will be under a duty to act in a way that least hinders them. The MMO and IFCAs will also ensure protection of MCZs will be through the use of byelaws. The MMO has produced some useful Questions and Answers on byelaws.

Natural England and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) will carry out monitoring of MCZs. The results of this monitoring will be used for various purposes, including the preparation and review of management advice and in preparing the report to Parliament, which the Secretary of State will be required to submit every six years.