Marine Management Organisation 26 October 2021 ‘The Government of the Pitcairn Islands has published an ambitious five-year Marine Protected Area (MPA) management plan to protect over 841,910 square km of ocean in one of the most remote places on earth. This plan will further protect the Pitcairn Islands’ untouched coral reefs and safeguard threatened species […]
Latest publication with results from research carried out over the last 11 years in Lyme Bay since its designation as a Marine Protected Area. The aim was to assess the effectiveness of excluding using bottom-towed fishing across the MPA while still allowing static gear, rod and line and diving fishing methods. Overall, the number of […]
Protecting areas of the ocean and coastlines with “whole-site” Marine Protected Area (MPA) status can result in four-fold increases in the abundance and diversity of fish populations, a new study has shown. Researchers from the University of Plymouth have been monitoring the impact of the Lyme Bay MPA since it was designated in 2008. They found […]
Emma Sheehan and colleagues Abstract ‘Marine protected areas (MPAs) are employed as tools to manage human impacts, especially fishing pressure. By excluding the most destructive activities MPAs can rewild degraded areas of seabed habitat. The potential for MPAs to increase ecosystem resilience from storms is, however, not understood, nor how such events impact seabed habitats. […]
A marine protected area established off the coast of Mallorca is proving beneficial not just for the environment but for business, too, according to a study that appears to confirm the long-term benefits of MPAs for both habitats and economies. Click here According to the study, carried out by the non-profit Marilles Foundation, the protected […]
JNCC ‘The UK government has committed to identify and designate pilot Highly Protected Marine Areas (HPMAs) in English waters by the end of 2022. Defra, JNCC, Natural England, Cefas, the Marine Management Organisation and the Association of Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authorities will work together, with stakeholders, to identify potential pilot sites. To understand the […]
Scottish Government ‘New measures to help conservation efforts. The critically endangered flapper skate is to gain further protection following the urgent designation of a new Marine Protected Area (MPA) within the Inner Sound of Skye. The site will protect a nationally important flapper skate egg nursery area, which is the largest of its kind to […]
Politico ‘Tough new British rules against damaging fishing practices are putting pressure on the EU British Brexit backers have long argued quitting the EU could make the U.K. greener — now there’s some evidence to back that up. It comes from a British move to strengthen environmental rules at sea, something that could force the EU to […]