21 Apr 2026
Photo by Karl Hanssens Two developments this week have put Sussex’s marine conservation zones in the spotlight – one bringing new protections, the other raising fresh concerns about the integrity of a neighbouring site. Trawling ban takes effect off Beachy Head A new law banning trawling and scalloping in a zone of 101 square […]
10 Mar 2026
Photo by M S Premier Marinas has applied for an interim one-year dredging licence for Brighton Marina after its previous ten-year permit was quashed last year following a successful legal challenge over the disposal of sediment within a Marine Conservation Zone. The application, submitted to the Marine Management Organisation on 6 March, opened a 28-day […]
11 Nov 2025
Photo by Mark Bennis Sussex Wildlife Trust has achieved a significant legal victory in its battle to protect the Beachy Head West Marine Conservation Zone (MCZ) from sediment dumping, after the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) conceded it had failed to properly assess the environmental impacts of a controversial 10-year dredging licence. The High Court […]
02 Sep 2025
Photo by Being Momentx Sussex Wildlife Trust has launched a judicial review challenging the Marine Management Organisation’s decision to allow Brighton Marina to dump 100,000 tonnes of dredged sediment annually in a protected marine area for the next decade. Protected area “in name only” The charity argues the decision exposes “inadequate protection given to […]
11 Aug 2020
A team of four NRW marine scientists work at the Skomer MCZ. They are responsible for the management of the site and completing an extensive marine monitoring programme which has built on the marine biological surveys started in the 1980s. There is a 5-knot speed limit within 100m of the shore to reduce disturbance to […]