The Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust has welcomed the news that this Government is designating a second phase of 23 new Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs), including The Needles off the west coast of the Island.
Three areas off the coast of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight are set to get national protection for the special wildlife they support – the first of their kind in the region – after campaigning by the Wildlife Trusts and their supporters
These three new Marine Conservation Zones are The Needles, Offshore Overfalls and Utopia and they include chalk reefs, rocky sponge gardens and submerged river valleys. They’re also home to internationally important seagrass beds – British populations of which were found to be in a ‘perilous state’ in research published last week.
Other wildlife these habitats support include the tope shark, undulate rays and reef communities of corals, sponges and anemones – some species of which haven’t yet been identified.
A total of 4 areas surrounding the Isle of Wight coast were proposed as Marine Conservation Zones, however only The Needles was accepted. An area of 11km squared will now be protected.
The third tranche is due to be considered later in 2016, and campaigners hope that four local areas that have previously been left out – Bembridge, Norris to Ryde, and Yarmouth to Cowes – will be considered for protections.
Tim Ferrero, Head of Marine Conservation at Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust said:
“This is a landmark moment for our area, with our first Marine Conservation Zones in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
Article continues below this advertisement “However this is just the first step in the process – the hard work begins here. We all need to work together to develop robust management plans for these sites and ways of using our seas so that wildlife can recover from damaging activity.
“These sites are important parts of a developing network of marine protected areas around the UK and take us a small but significant step towards what our ocean wildlife really needs – an international network of protected areas.
“Thanks to all our supporters who campaigned with us for wildlife in our seas”.
