New measures to protect the marine environment were announced by Defra (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) Minister, Ben Bradshaw, during a visit to the marine reserve of Lundy Island, off the north coast of Devon today.
They include the first three of a network of marine conservation areas around the coast of England and measures to protect the biodiversity of Lyme Bay, following recent concern about the damaging impact of scallop dredging in the area.
Mr Bradshaw is visiting Lundy Island today to see first hand some of the conservation work being undertaken on the island, including the successes of the Lundy Island no take zone.
Mr Bradshaw said:
"I am impressed with the way in which the Lundy no take zone is protecting marine wildlife, especially lobsters, crabs, corals and sponges. Evidence from the 2004/05 monitoring programme suggests that lobsters in the zone appeared to have increased in size and doubled in abundance.
"The Government is committed to increasing and extending our protection of the invaluable marine environment. It is imperative that we ensure a sustainable future for people to continue benefiting from and enjoying all that the sea has to offer, and so that this wonderful environment continues to exist for future generations.
"To this end, the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) will be consulting in early 2007 on the creation of a number of Special Areas of Conservation (SACs).
"Three of the areas being considered are Haig Fras, Dogger Bank, and the North Norfolk sandbanks and Saturn Reef. Each represents a unique habitat within the marine environment and we must ensure they are properly protected."
The Minister also said he would also take urgent steps to protect rare pink sea fans and other important marine features in Lyme Bay off the Devon and Dorset coast.
The pink sea fan is a warm water species which has a limited western distribution in the British Isles, with particularly dense populations occurring in waters to the east of the Lizard, the east of Lundy Island, around Plymouth Sound, and in Lyme Bay.
Mr Bradshaw said:
"We are acting to protect these pink sea fans, ross corals and sunset corals, and to also protect other parts of Lyme Bay's important marine environment.
"Defra has worked closely with both English Nature and representatives of the fishing industry to reach a compromise on the areas of the Bay to be closed.
"An agreement has been reached which provides the necessary protection on a voluntary basis. We will be consulting with Sea Fisheries Committees to consider how this can be backed up by legislation.
"I will also be considering suggestions that we should exclude other forms of extractive fishing from the closed zones, in order to allow the biodiversity of Lyme Bay to receive maximum benefit and in order to allow scallops to benefit in the open areas."
