Marine scientists working in the Celtic Sea have discovered a natural refuge for the critically endangered flapper skate. Many elasmobranchs (sharks, rays and skates) are highly vulnerable to over-fishing, but a new paper in the open access journal PLOS ONE shows that small areas of the seabed that experience below-average fishing intensity can sustain greater [...]
» Marine Reserves
- Hard-to-fish areas in Celtic Sea are a refuge for skate and rays
- Short film illustrates the value and urgent need to protect coral reefs
- Parliamentary Report criticises UK Government and says “Marine Conservation Zones are vital”
- Loophole in “favourable condition” definition for MCZs, claims marine scientist
- Marinet recommends to the Minister: “make fishermen the managers of MCZs”
- Scottish NGOs say MCZs could produce an economic dividend of £10 billion over 20 years
- Minister blames “cash squeeze” for slow MCZ delivery
- Suffolk & Essex Wildlife Groups call for more marine protection
- Prof. Callum Roberts explains why more MCZs are essential
- Better consultation on Norfolk Coast MCZs?
- Critics are less convinced by Minister’s defence of his MCZ policy
- UK Marine Minister, Richard Benyon, defends his MCZ policy
- Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall leads rally to Parliament for increased number of MCZs
- Newsletter January 2013
- 1/4 million people sign Wildlife Trust petition expressing disappointment over MCZ designations
- Public Consultation on MCZs
- East Anglian reaction to MCZ’s
- Flame shell reef in Scottish seas could be the world’s largest
- Marine Conservation Society says “UK’s MCZ plans are too limited”
- UK governments announces 31 new MCZs from of a possible list of 127 sites
Underwater2web.com has produced a short film, around 3 minutes, illustrating the magnificence, age, fragility and importance of the world’s coral reefs. This is, Marinet observes, a film well worth viewing – see the film on YouTube Source: Underwater2web.com, April 2013
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The creation of new Marine Conservation Zones vital to protect biodiversityBiological diversity in an environment as indicated by numbers of different species of plants and animals. in UK waters should not be stalled by Government fears of judicial review, the Science and Technology Committee has warned, but it is important that the Government consult effectively. [...]
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Dr. Miles Hoskin, Coastal & Marine Environmental Research (CMER), has stated: “I’ve found something amongst the consultation material on DEFRA’s website that, if enacted, would seem to create a major legal loophole that could prevent MCZs being a force for positive change, even in the few places where they are eventually designated. From talking to [...]
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The UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has completed on 31st March its most recent public consultation on the implementation of the Marine Conservation Zone (MCZ) network for English seas. In order to assist the Environment Minister, Richard Benyon MP, Defra has been enquiring whether the government should go ahead and designate [...]
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The Scottish government is due to publish proposals for a network of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), and a network to help protect Scotland’s seas could provide economic benefits worth £10bn, according to a new report. The report was commissioned by industry forum Scottish Environment Link. It said MPAs would help mitigate against extreme weather impacts, [...]
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The Government has admitted moving slowly to protect wildlife in the seas because of the cost. Environment Minister Richard Benyon said that in the current financial squeeze he could not designate as many areas for protection as he would like. He said he was hoping to confirm the designation of the current tranche of 31 [...]
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Like MARINET and Fishfight, East Anglian wildlife groups are urging the Government to put the interests of Suffolk and Essex’s marine environment and high-value sustainable fisheries above those of commercial trawlers and want people to contact water and rural affairs minister Richard Benyon to demand a commitment to 127 Marine Conservation Zones (MCZ) around the [...]
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Prof. Callum Roberts writes in The Guardian, 15th February 2013: “Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s Channel 4 TV show Fish Fight has begun a new series. In a stroke of good timing, the European parliament voted last week to phase out the wasteful discarding of fish at sea, the main target of the first series. So you could [...]
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Whilst DEFRA is already consulting on proposals for three MCZs off Northumberland, two areas off Norfolk, whilst the Cromer ShoalA sandbank or sandbar that makes the water shallow Beds and The Wash Approach may be taken forward for designation later. Norfolk County Council’s environment, transport and development overview and scrutiny panel all support the thinking [...]
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The environment minister, Richard Benyon, has hit back at critics of the UK’s plans to protect England’s marine life, singling out campaigner Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall as failing to understand the cost involved in creating dozens of “properly” protected marine conservation zones (MCZs). Writing in the Guardian on 8th March 2013, Benyon said the TV chef did [...]
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UK Marine Minister, Richard Benyon MP, writes in The Guardian, 8th March 2013: “Just off Beachy Head there is an area of the Channel where sea bream reproduce. This remarkable fish pairs with its mate and creates an area of seabed that it will defend for around six weeks until spawning has ceased. This is [...]
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The TV chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall has said it is “vital” that the government does more to protect UK seas as he led hundreds of campaigners in a march to Westminster. The presenter has urged ministers to increase the number of “marine conservation zones” (MCZs) after more than £8m was spent on identifying 127 areas where [...]
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Our newsletter number 42 for January 2013 is now available here.
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The Wildlife Trusts announced, 22nd January 2013: “A huge wave of public support will shake Westminster today as a quarter of a million people call for greater protection for UK’s seas and coastline. 250,000 signatures on The Wildlife Trusts’ ‘Petition Fish’ will be presented to Natural Environment Minister, Richard Benyon at a Parliamentary reception at [...]
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Environment Minister Richard Benyon announced in December the commencement of public consultation on Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs). The consultation document and annexes can be viewed at www.defra.gov.uk/consult/open You will already have seen comment and concern expressed on this under our Marine Reserves page which indicate that it will be a battle to secure even those [...]
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Through DEFRA, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the government decided on Thursday 13th December 2012 which first sea areas were to be and were not to become Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs). In all, only 31 areas were selected as conservation zones where trawling and dredging would be prevented, a far cry from [...]
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The discovery of a large shellfish reef on the west coast of the UK could be the biggest find of its kind in the world, experts believe. The reef made up of more than 100 million brightly coloured and rare flame shells, or Limaria hians, was found in Loch Alsh, a sea inlet between Skye [...]
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The UK government has been accused of a “lack of ambition” to preserve the seas, ahead of an announcement about plans for a series of protected marine areas. A total of 127 potential marine conservation zones have been selected in a multimillion-pound programme involving wildlife groups, local coastal communities and marine industry representatives. The areas [...]
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The UK’s sea life will be protected by 31 new conservation zones aimed at preventing trawling and dredging destroying life on the ocean floor, under plans announced by the government on Thursday. But ministers rejected advice to create 127 zones, including all the areas where no activity would have been allowed, leading campaigners to describe [...]
