Knot (Credit Tom Marshall)
Wading birds including knot feed on the rich and diverse species that colonise the region.
Commercially important species are able to reach full maturity here.
This area is heavily influenced by the Duddon Estuary, resulting in large areas of shallow sediments that are colonised by saltmarsh and reedbeds. It is a vitally important habitat for wintering and migrating birds that feed on the rich and diverse species that colonise the region.
Barrow North is adjacent to the tip of Walney Island, a nationally important location for the threatened natterjack toad. The designation will help to protect the species and aid their recovery.
The protective nature of this area also provides a nursery ground where commercially important species are able to reach full maturity.
This recommended Marine Conservation Zone is ON HOLD at the moment as it was put foward as a Reference Area.
We therefore need you to urge Defra to consider joining this site with Barrow South and designating them both to protect the seagrass beds found within the Morecambe Bay:
This site was put forward as a Reference Area (a highly protected MCZ). Defra is now reviewing designation of such sites and The Wildlife Trusts will input into this review.
However, it is our view that this site could still make a valuable contribution to an ecologically coherent network of MCZs. Although the site sits within the Morecambe Bay Special Area of Conservation (SAC), that SAC is not designated for the seagrass beds found within it.
We therefore need you to urge Defra to consider joining this site with Barrow South and designating them both to protect the seagrass beds found within the Morecambe Bay; the only such sites off northwest England SAC.
Contains UKHO Law of the Sea data. Crown copyright and database right and contains Ordnance Survey Data Crown copyright and database 2012
Other nearby MCZs
Downloads
| Filename | File size |
|---|---|
| Barrow North.pdf | 190.71 KB |