Defra: In June 2019, the Secretary of State commissioned former Environment and Fisheries Minister Richard Benyon to undertake an independent review to examine whether and how the strongest protections for areas of sea, Highly Protected Marine Areas (HPMAs), could be introduced.

The Benyon Review into HPMAs, published in June 2020, concluded that “HPMAs are an essential component of the MPA network”, that they would complement the existing MPA network, enabling greater recovery of the marine ecosystem and enhancing the government’s commitment to a national ‘Blue Belt’ of marine protection, and its headline recommendation was that “government should introduce them into Secretary of State waters”.

In the Preface, Benyon explains that when minister responsible for the implementation of the Marine and Coastal Access Act between 2010 and 2013, particularly the designation of Marine Conservation Zones, he “was aware that the addition of more highly protected ‘reference areas’ as part of the designations of Marine Conservation Zones was not successful.”

In its WOD announcement (and here), the government published its response to the review, launching plans to increase protections for England’s waters through a pilot scheme to designate marine sites in England as “Highly Protected Marine Areas”. The selected sites would see a ban on all activities that could have a damaging effect on wildlife or marine habitats.

Secretary of State George Eustace’s Ministerial statement said: “This Government is committed to ocean conservation and leaving our environment in a better state than we found it, including the marine environment.  …  welcomes the report and accepts the central recommendation that we should take forward some pilot sites”.

Defra will begin introducing HPMAs by identifying a number of locations within English waters to pilot the approach. These may be inside or outside the existing Marine Protected Area network, and in inshore or offshore areas, recognising that HPMAs must be in the locations best able to deliver protection and recovery.

Natural England and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee will identify the pilot sites, which will be in areas that would benefit from a substantially higher level of protection, with input from stakeholders with a formal consultation set to launch next year.

Blaise Bullimore: This new undertaking, coming a dozen years after the Marine and Coastal Access Act became law, has the potential to begin addressing long-standing criticisms of the ineffectiveness of the MPA network from many quarters such as MCS: Marine unProtected Areas  (“bottom trawling is taking place in 98% of the UK’s offshore Marine Protected Areas intended to protect vital seabed habitats”);  The Guardian (“increasing number of foreign supertrawlers fishing in {MPAs}, drew accusations that the government is misleading the public over “paper parks” that fail to protect Britain’s seas.”); Greenpeace (“Despite setting up a network of Marine Protected Areas around the UK, covering around 30% of the UK’s waters, this network is little more than a series of ‘paper parks’ – lines drawn on a map with no tangible protections.” ) and Prof Callum Roberts reported in CIWEM (“Are the UK’s marine protected areas fit for purpose? … Far from protecting our seas, many of the UK’s marine protected areas preside over worsening degradation and loss of sea life”).

However, the government’s new marine promises are welcomed with reservations in the media.  The Guardian comments that the “UK to trial ‘highly protected marine areas’ in win for ocean campaigners” but notes “‘Historic’ move to ban destructive fishing methods in five habitats welcomed, but conservationists say change must come faster”.  Meanwhile Sky News more pointedly asks of the proposed HPMPAs “’Red herring’ or will they catch on?”