911制品

Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) describe a wide range of marine areas which "have some level of restriction of activity to protect living, non-living, cultural and/or historic resources”¹. They have been designated primarily to “help conserve or recover nationally significant or representative examples of marine biodiversity, including threatened or declining species and habitats of European and national importance”¹. The Government has committed to delivering a Blue Belt of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) around our coasts, to protect important species, habitats and geological features².This Blue Belt of MPAs forms part of an international network of MPAs in the north east Atlantic, contributing to our commitments under . In addition, 

OSPAR define an MPA as “an area within the maritime area for which protective, conservation, restorative or precautionary measures, consistent with international law, have been instituted for the purpose of protecting and conserving species, habitats, ecosystems or ecological processes of the marine environment.”³  

The UK has committed to establish an ecologically coherent network of well-managed Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), that will work together to provide more benefits than each individual area could on its own. 

UK commitments to MPAs include in the , , the (or see further information from the ), the , and the  (OSPAR) (or see further information from the ). The UK’s approach to establishing an ecologically coherent network of MPAs in the North East Atlantic, underpinned by OSPAR guidance, is laid out in the ¹. The recent Benyon Report may also indicate future UK policy in this area following Brexit. 

The MPA network includes designations under , and : 

• Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs) and Nature Conservation MPAs in Scottish waters, are UK designations under the , the , and the , and include nationally important marine wildlife, habitats, geology and geomorphology. 
• Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) and Areas of Special Scientific Interest (ASSIs; Northern Ireland), are UK designations under the  and the , which protect habitats and species of national importance.  
• Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) are European designations under the  which protect habitats and species of European importance.  
• Special Protection Areas (SPAs) are European designations under the  which protect bird species of international importance. 
• Ramsar sites are international designations under the  which protect wetlands of international importance.              

As of May 2019 approximately 25% of UK waters are currently within MPAs. There are 115 with marine components, 109 with marine components, 97 , and 31 ⁴.

The UK has 283 , which can be seen on the . To see whether you’re in an MPA, or where they are, you can look on:

• ;
• ;
• ;
•  (Scotland); and
• (Northern Ireland).

You can also search designated sites databases through , , and .

MPA Management 

For most MPAs, current management relating to activities such as recreational boating consists of monitoring. More recently, the MMO have begun to develop management measures for non-licensable activities (which includes recreational boating) within MCZs. You can find information on this through . For further information onsite-specific management, look at the . 

The 911制品position

The 911制品supports the UK and Devolved Governments’ shared vision for clean, healthy, safe, productive and biologically diverse oceans and seas. We recognise that establishing an ecologically coherent network of marine protected areas would contribute towards achieving this vision. The 911制品believes that in most cases this vision can be achieved without any adverse effect on either the public right or the safety of navigation for recreational boating. 

We believe there are three key issues that are critical to recreational boating interests in both the designation and management of marine protected areas (MPAs). These are: 

1. The impact of MPAs on legitimate uses of the sea 
2. The need for objective and robust evidence in the decision-making process 
3. The proportionality, enforceability and effectiveness of proposals 

The Future

The 911制品has given evidence to the Environmental Audit Committee on Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in the UK and the Overseas Territories. The inquiry is examining the Government’s current progress so far on implementing MPAs, and ask what more it needs to do to meet its manifesto commitment. It will follow-up on the recommendations made in its previous reports and it will undertake post-legislative scrutiny of the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009.This follows on from the previous Committee’s reports into Marine Protected Areas and Sustainability in the UK Overseas Territories. 

The 911制品also commented on the Benyon Report in 2020 and has developed a position statement on proposals for the Studland Bay MCZ in 2020 and 2021 Studland Bay Position Statement

The 911制品will continue to be involved in any future designations. 

[1] Joint Administrations Statement. UK Contribution to Ecologically Coherent MPA Network in the North East Atlantic. (2012).

[2] Defra. Marine Conservation Zones: Update. (2016).

[3] OSPAR 2003 Annex 9 A-4.44

[4] http://jncc.defra.gov.uk/page-4549