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An exotic underwater world of seahorses, sharks and corals
that surrounds the coast of Britain is to be given greater
protection under new legislation.
The long-awaited Marine Act will allow conservation groups
to map sites of nature preservation for the first time. Future
legislation to be enforced in these marine conservation zones
will see an end to damaging practices such as scallop dredging
and trawler fishing.
Currently, there is only one small piece of coastline in
Britain that is heavily protected - the sea around Lundy Island,
off Devon. As a result, species such as spiny sea-horses -
found in Studland Bay in Dorset - and basking sharks - seen
in Britain's coastal waters in the summer - have been under
serious threat.
"This is a truly momentous event for our marine wildlife,"
said Joan Edwards, head of living seas for the Wildlife
Trusts. "We have campaigned for many years for new
laws to provide better protection of marine habitats and wildlife,
as well as improved management of activities at sea. Numbers
of basking sharks have dropped by more than 95% and corals,
seahorses, whales, dolphins and seals have all been affected.
The Marine and Coastal Access Bill, if effectively implemented,
will provide the chance to conserve the thousands of species
which inhabit UK waters."
The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds hopes the act
will also offer greater protection to Britain's seabirds,
which are vulnerable to destructive fishing methods and marine
pollution. "In recent years, we have seen frightening declines
in kittiwakes and other seabirds," said Dr Mark Avery, the
RSPB's director of conservation.
"Climate change has been warming our seas and the food chain
on which they rely is in danger of collapse. While this act
can't stop climate change, it can help reduce other pressures
on these vulnerable populations."
Part of the act's purpose is to safeguard Britain's vast
network of brightly coloured, delicate corals. These include
rarities such as the sunset cup coral, only found at a small
number of isolated sites in the south-west of England and
Wales. It is a slow-growing, long-lived species, making it
particularly vulnerable.
"Bottom trawling is like taking a plough along the sea bed,"
said Callum Roberts, professor of marine conservation at York
University. "That is not conducive to sustaining healthy populations
of fish."
The wildlife charity WWF has identified six 'flagship
species' that are under threat or in decline - which,
it believes, will benefit from the act. These are the Atlantic
salmon, whose numbers have been falling for 30 years; the
pink sea fan, an exotic-looking horny coral; the harbour porpoise,
usually seen in summer along the Welsh and Scottish coasts;
sea-grass beds, a vital sea-horse habitat; deep-water coral
reefs and horse mussel beds.
The establishment of the marine conservation zones will take
place over the next two years and the rules that govern each
zone will be different, depending upon the needs of the species
that are identified within them.
"If the Marine Act produces another feel-good exercise, it
will have failed. My feeling is that it won't and that it
will offer real protection to marine species," said Roberts.
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