Seahorse © Andrew Pearson
The most important and exciting aspect of the Marine & Coastal Access Act, Marine (Scotland) Act, and forthcoming legislation in Northern Ireland is the creation of a network of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) throughout UK seas.
MPAs are sites in which human activities are restricted to varying degrees. They are a tried and tested means of safeguarding important habitats and wildlife. MPAs protect the wildlife within their boundaries and allow nature to recover and thrive.
In many cases, MPAs have an influence beyond their boundaries too, as burgeoning wildlife populations spill out into the surrounding sea. Carefully designed and well managed networks of MPAs bring even greater benefits.
Marine Protected Areas are the heart of marine nature conservation
Networks can boost the health of the marine environment as a whole, helping it recover from past impacts and enabling it to sustain current pressures.
To achieve this, MPA networks must include not just sites that protect rare and threatened wildlife, but also those that protect examples of the whole range of ‘typical’ habitats and wildlife found in healthy seas.
MPAs are the heart of marine nature conservation and essential for the sustainable management of the UK’s marine area. That is why The Wildlife Trusts regard MPAs as the bedrock of Living Seas and are campaigning for a well managed network of MPAs by the end of 2012.