National Marine Protected Areas
The
Marine and Coastal Access Act provides for
the
designation of Marine Conservation Zones
(MCZs) in English and Welsh territorial
waters, and UK offshore waters.
JNCC is responsible
for giving advice and guidance on MCZ networks in UK offshore
waters, and in the future may carry out monitoring of
individual MCZs.
Devolved responsibilities in UK waters means that Marine
Conservation Zones will be identified through three
distinct, but co-ordinated projects. Each will develop
appropriate stakeholder engagement mechanisms.
Detail of each is provided below:
- MCZs in English Territorial Waters and all UK offshore waters
apart from those adjacent to Scotland will be identified through
the Marine Conservation
Zone Project;
- MCZs in Welsh Territorial Waters will be identified through a
project which will be implemented by the Welsh Assembly
Government;
- Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in UK offshore waters
adjacent to Scotland will be implemented through the
Scotland Marine Protected Area Project. For UK
offshore waters adjacent to Scotland, the Scottish Government is
the appropriate authority for MCZ designation where they will be
known as MPAs.
Other non-Natura MPAs in UK waters
Northern Ireland will be introducing a Northern Ireland Marine
Bill to the Northern Ireland Assembly by 2012. This will outline
proposal's for nature conservation in Northern Ireland's
territorial waters.
To provide further information on all of the different types
of MPA in the UK, JNCC have produced a document called
"Different Types of Marine Protected
Area". This document will be regularly updated as the situation
progresses.