Greater protection of UK's seas could deliver economic benefits, report finds

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2013/jan/22/greater-protection-uk-seas-economic-benefits

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Greater protection of the UK's seas could deliver economic returns from activities ranging from commercial and recreational fishing to nature watching, according to a report by Plymouth University.

Protecting a substantial network of areas throughout the seas would deliver "significant" benefits, although there would be short-term disadvantages for commercial fisheries if they were forced to stop fishing at some sites, it said.

The study for the Wildlife Trusts was published on Tuesday as it handed in a 250,000-signature petition to environment minister Richard Benyon, calling for more protection of the seas.

Some 127 sites around the coasts of England and Wales were recommended for inclusion in a network of marine conservation zones, with warnings that 59 should be designated immediately because they were at high risk of damage.

But the government has unveiled plans to designate just 31 sites this year, with no areas being given the highest level of protection as "reference areas" where all damaging activity is banned.

A number of sites, including some at high risk, are not due to be designated this year because of economic considerations, such as the impact on fishing or anchoring of commercial ships that protecting them would have.

However, a new poll commissioned by the Wildlife Trusts shows that almost nine out of 10 (89%) people want priority to be given to protecting nature when sea life is threatened by commercial activity such as fishing or dredging - even if that means restricting where those activities can take place.

And the report from Plymouth University suggested that protecting areas put forward for designation as marine conservation zones would boost the economic benefits they deliver.

For example, the suggested marine conservation zone at Holderness, East Yorkshire, delivers around £1.2m in commercial fisheries, £1m in recreation and £220,000 from nature watching, and the researchers assessed that the value would decline if nothing was done to protect the area.

Protecting it could see the value of those activities sustained or even increase, the report found.

The poll of 1,101 people for the Wildlife Trusts also found that on average those quizzed thought 56% of the seas should be protected in marine reserves.

Some 96% thought the health of the marine environment was important, 95% thought it was important as a source of food, 91% said it was important for recreation and 97% said it was an important habitat for fish and other wildlife.

The government is currently consulting on designating the first 31 sites.

The Wildlife Trusts wants the government to designate all 31 of the proposed marine conservation zones in 2013 and enforce appropriate management of them as soon as possible.

Sites identified as being most under threat should be designated urgently and the evidence that the government has collected on potential reserves should be properly taken into account, the Wildlife Trusts said.

And sites should be protected as soon as they are designated - including banning damaging activities such as bottom trawling and dredging.

Joan Edwards, Wildlife Trusts' head of living seas, urged members of the public to respond to the government's consultation.

"The public can help us ensure that the 31 sites the government have selected are only the start. We need to ensure that the remaining sites are not forgotten."