West of Walney MPA

JNCC and Natural England have jointly prepared updated formal conservation advice for West of Walney MCZ. Further information is available in the Conservation Advice section below.

Status: Marine Conservation Zone (MCZ) 

West of Walney MCZ is a joint inshore and offshore site situated 8 km west of Walney Island, on the Cumbrian coast of north-west England.

Site

Situated 8 km west of Walney Island, West of Walney MCZ is a joint inshore and offshore site on the Cumbrian coast of north-west England. Natural England is the other statutory nature conservation body responsible for the site within 12 nm.

More detailed site information can be found in the Summary section below.

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Site Timeline

The diagram below is a summary of the key milestones involved in the selection and designation of West of Walney MCZ.  More detail can be found within the Relevant Documentation section.

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Relevant Documentation

The documents referred to below and any other historical documents relating to West of Walney MCZ were produced during the selection and designation process and therefore may be out of date.  This Site Information Centre is the most up-to-date source of information for this MPA, and will reflect any additional information gathered since these documents were produced. Further information about the Marine Conservation Zone site selection process and historic MCZ advice is available on JNCC's MCZ webpages.

• West of Walney MCZ Designation Order – Official prescription of the site designation under the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009. The Designation Order includes boundary co-ordinates, Conservation Objectives and a list of the designated features. More information on the Designation Order, including a designation map and factsheet is available on the gov.uk website.
• Natural England's Tranche Two pre- and post-consultation advice to Defra provides the data used to support site identification, along with information on confidence in feature presence and extent.
• JNCC and Natural England's joint draft conservation advice for this site is available through Natural England's Designated Sites System, with further supporting information available on the gov.uk website.

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Summary

Last updated: October 2017

Reviewed: November 2018

Site Overview

West of Walney MCZ is situated approximately 8 km west of Walney Island on the Cumbrian coast of north-west England. The site has an area of approximately 388 km² and includes part of an area known as the eastern Irish Sea mud belt that is geographically isolated from the deep-water mud habitat in the western Irish Sea.

The seabed in the MCZ contains two broad-scale habitats (BSH); subtidal mud and subtidal sand. A particular type of mud habitat known as Sea-pen and burrowing megafauna communities occurs here, characterised by the presence of sea-pens (feather-like soft corals) and burrowing animals such as mud shrimp and the Norway lobster Nephrops norvegicus. The burrowing activity of these animals provides an important ecological function in the bioturbation (mixing) of the sediments, this allows oxygen to penetrate deeper and increases the structural complexity of the habitat. Sea-pen and burrowing megafauna communities are a habitat Feature of Conservation Importance (FOCI) and an OSPAR Threatened and/or Declining habitat in the north east Atlantic and specifically in the Irish Sea.

This mud habitat is of high commercial fishing interest as it is the supporting habitat of the Norway lobster Nephrops norvegicus. The Nephrops population in the eastern Irish Sea is smaller (in number) than the western Irish Sea, and the two populations are not thought to be connected by larval dispersal. Historical survey data, conducted off Sellafield, Cumbria, found the slender sea-pen Virgularia mirabilis associated with particular sediment types. Fewer V. mirabilis have been recorded in more recent surveys, conducted further south, in the vicinity of the West of Walney site; though similar sediment habitats occur here. Further detail on the evidence for this MCZ can be found in the Monitoring and Evidence section.

Site location:  Co-ordinates for this MCZ can be found in the Designation Order listed in the Relevant Documentation section.

Site area:  388 km² – a similar size to the Isle of Wight (384 km²) off the south coast of England.

Site depth range:  West of Walney MCZ ranges in depth from 15–33 m.

Charting Progress 2 biogeographic region: Irish Sea. 

Site boundary description: The southern boundary of West of Walney MCZ follows the border of two windfarm licence areas and also includes a smaller windfarm area within the boundary. The boundary of West of Walney MCZ was developed by the Irish Seas Conservation Zones Regional MCZ Project and has not changed since it was recommended by the Regional MCZ Project in 2011. The final boundary for this site aims to balance the impact on the commercial fishing industry, whilst contributing to the MCZ Project Ecological Network Guidance targets.

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Monitoring and Evidence

Last updated: November 2023

Site-specific data

The full overview of the data used to support site identification, along with information on confidence in feature presence and extent is available in Natural England's Tranche Two pre- and post-consultation advice to Defra. JNCC will be adding relevant survey data for this MPA to its MPA Mapper in due course.

Data for this MCZ have been gathered from existing data sources such as research surveys and survey undertaken as part of licence conditions for the development of windfarms. Data from these surveys provide direct evidence confirming the presence of the protected features within the site.

 

Survey and data gathering

• Hilmar Hinz (2003–2004) – To investigate chronic effects of trawl disturbance, a number of survey stations were sampled off the West Cumbrian coast (Hinz et al. 2009, funded by EU project 'Response' QLRT-2001-00787). Three survey stations from the November 2004 survey were located within West of Walney MCZ and provide supporting information on the presence and extent of the broad-scale habitat Subtidal mud.
• Jan Hiddock, (School of Ocean Sciences, Bangor University) (2007–2009) – R.V. Prince Madog was used to collect Day grab samples at 26 stations across the northern Irish Sea in June 2007. The purpose of this survey was to investigate relationships between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. In 2009 the R.V. Prince Madog collected Day grab samples off the Cumbrian coast, the purpose of the survey was to investigate indirect negative effects of bottom trawl fisheries on fish condition. Two survey stations from the 2007 survey and three stations from the 2009 survey provide supporting information on the presence and extent of the broad-scale habitat Subtidal mud within West of Walney MCZ.
• Walney and Ormonde Offshore Windfarm Benthic survey (2009) – These data were collected on behalf of Vattenfall and DONG Energy, for pre-development baseline survey work carried out on the benthic environment for the Ormonde and Walney Offshore Wind Farm developments. The surveys collected still images, Day grabs, and 2 m beam trawls. Twenty-one survey stations sampled using Day grab samples and camera stills support the presence of the broadscale habitat subtidal mud.
• Walney Extension (2011) – Pre-construction monitoring surveys commissioned by Dong Energy were undertaken as part of licence conditions for the development of the consented Walney windfarm. Twenty sample stations support the presence of Subtidal mud, and 15 stations support the presence of the habitat feature of conservation importance Sea-pen and burrowing megafauna communities within the West of Walney site.
• Irish Sea Offshore Windfarm benthic Survey Reports, Dong Energy (2011) – Data were collected on behalf of Dong energy, as a part of the windfarm licence process to monitor their effects on benthic habitats. Twenty sample stations support the presence of Subtidal mud within the West of Walney site.
• Walney Wind Farms (2012) – Data were collected on behalf of Dong energy, as a part of the windfarm licence process to monitor their effects on benthic habitats. Twenty-five stations support the presence of subtidal mud. Nineteen stations support the presence of Sea-pen and burrowing megafauna.
• Walney Wind Farms (2013) – Data were collected on behalf of Dong energy, as a part of the windfarm licence conditions to monitor the projects effect on benthic habitats. Twenty-five stations support the presence of subtidal mud, one station supports the presence of subtidal sand, and seventeen stations support the presence of Sea-pen and burrowing megafauna.
• West Duddon Sands Pre-Consultation Benthic Survey Data (2012) – The Centre for Marine and Coastal Studies (CMACS), collected benthic survey data on behalf of Dong Energy as part of licence conditions for the West of Duddon Sands windfarm development. Particle Size Analysis (PSA) from Day grabs at seven stations support the presence of subtidal mud within the West of Walney site.
• Eastern Irish Sea Nephrops survey (2010/2013) – CEFAS and the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI) collected survey data at stations within West of Walney site, as part of a Nephrops stock assessment survey of the Eastern Irish Sea, ICES assessment area (Functional Unit 14). Data verifying the presence of the mud habitat ‘Sea-pen and burrowing megafauna communities’ were recorded. 
• West of Walney Natural England Monitoring Report 2018 (2023) – Report NECR464 provides a characterisation of the Broad-Scale Habitats present in a northern section of the MCZ, in the form of an updated habitat map and assessment of the infauna communities. The report also presents additional evidence on the presence and distribution of the FOCI within the surveyed region.

 

Data analysis reports

• Walney and Ormonde Offshore Windfarm Benthic survey (2009) – This report presents analysis of data collected for pre-development baseline survey work carried out on the benthic environment for the Ormonde and Walney Offshore Wind Farm developments. The surveys collected still images, Day grabs, and 2 m beam trawls. These data support the presence of the broadscale habitat subtidal mud within West of Walney MCZ.

 

Additional relevant literature

References for further supporting scientific literature consulted during the identification of this site can be found in Natural England's 2015 pre- and post-consultation scientific advice to Defra. Please be aware that although these sources contain information in relation to this MPA, they do not necessarily represent the views of JNCC. 

 

Knowledge gaps

As part of the UK Marine Monitoring and Assessment Strategy (UKMMAS), JNCC led the development of a UK Marine Biodiversity Monitoring Strategy, working with partners across the UK monitoring community. The Strategy spans UK territorial and offshore waters, focusing on biodiversity in the wider environment and within Marine Protected Areas.  Its aim is to implement efficient, integrated monitoring of marine biodiversity to provide the evidence needed for all the UK's policy drivers.

The evidence collected during MPA monitoring surveys is used in combination with other available evidence to:

• Enable assessment of condition of the features within sites;
• Contribute to the assessment of the degree to which management measures are effective in achieving the conservation objectives for the protected features;
• Support the identification of priorities for future protection and/or management; and,
• Enable Government to fulfil its national and international assessment and reporting commitments in relation to MPAs and help identify where further action may be required.

More detail on offshore MPA monitoring can be found on the Offshore MPA monitoring webpage. A list of monitoring surveys and relevant reports can be found on the MPA monitoring survey reports webpage.

If you are aware of any additional data or relevant scientific papers for this site not listed in the relevant documentation, please contact us. 

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Conservation Advice

Last updated: May 2023

JNCC and Natural England have prepared joint formal conservation advice for West of Walney MCZ. This advice is available on Natural England's Designated Sites System for West of Walney MCZ. 

The formal advice reflects the most up-to-date evidence held by both Natural England and JNCC and must be taken into consideration when undertaking an assessment of the effects which a planned activity can have on the site’s integrity and when making decisions regarding management and consenting of marine activities in or near the site. For more information on JNCC’s approach to conservation advice, please see our 'Conserving MPAs' webpage. Information can also be found on the gov.uk website. 

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