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 process click here

The third-party proposals process

JNCC and Natural England are inviting stakeholders to propose locations that meet the ecological criteria. To support this, JNCC and Natural England have produced third-party proposals submission guidance and an associated template

Submissions should be emailed to offshorempas@jncc.gov.uk no later than midnight on 31 August 2021. Please include ‘pilot HPMA proposal’ in the subject line when making your submission, or if you have an enquiry in the lead up to the submission deadline then please include in the subject line ‘pilot HPMA proposal’.

Government are designating HPMAs for the protection and recovery of the sea. In piloting the process to designate HPMAs, we are asking third parties to avoid proposing locations with industrial physical structures or consented activities that are unable to adapt to the location of a HPMA.’  Click here to read the entire document.