Natural England commenced a public consultation regarding three potential Special Protection Areas (pSPAs) around England. These sites are:

• Solent & Dorset Coast pSPA which is a new site for foraging common, little and Sandwich terns on the south coast.
• Greater Wash which is a new site on the east coast for wintering red-throated diver, common scoter and little gull as well as protecting foraging areas for breeding common tern, Sandwich tern and little tern.
• Dungeness, Romney Marsh & Rye Bay which is being extended to support foraging common, little and Sandwich terns on the south-east coast.

We are contacting you to seek your views on these proposals. Please use the link provided below which will guide you to further information and how you can respond to the consultation.

If you have any queries, do not hesitate to contact us using either this national mailbox or the mailboxes detailed on the consultation pages.

MMO seek public views to inform marine conservation plans

The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) are delighted to open two important public consultations. The first consultation seeks views on a proposed new MMO byelaw that will prohibit bottom towed gear in sensitive areas of Margate and Long Sand Site of Community Importance, which is north of the Thanet coast of Kent. The consultation is open until 12 December 2016.

The second consultation is a call for evidence that will inform MMO draft site assessments for marine protected areas (MPA) in English inshore waters. These assessments will help the MMO ensure current and potential fishing activities do not have a negative impact on habitats and species in these MPAs. This consultation is open until 12 December 2016.

Commenting on the consultations, MMO Head of Fisheries and Marine Conservation Management, Emma Harding said: “The MMO are committed to consultation and engagement in all of our operations whenever this is possible and these consultations are further evidence of this. The insight provided through these consultations will help plan and inform marine conservation methods for the future and I would urge all interested parties to take part in the consultations and share their views with us”. Click here to get details of the consultations.