Owen Jewell discusses ways in which we can help to protect our marine environments.
The marine environment surrounding the UK is full of amazing species and many people fail to realise that they are so close to our home. Whales and dolphins, sharks and skates, fish, seabirds, molluscs (including octopuses and cuttlefish) and even migrant leatherback turtles are imperative to the overall ecology of the seas – each playing a unique role.
Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) or Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs), as they are also known, are crucial in the protection of UK seas and the species within them. Usually instated to maintain biodiversity, they can also protect locations of specific archaeological interest from military testing zones, or safety zones around large machinery (like wind turbines), as well as restricting fisheries. There are two types of MPAs: Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) and Special Protection Areas (SPAs). SACs involve the conservation of species and habitats that are most in need at a European level (excluding birds) while SPAs specifically protect rare and vulnerable birds. As of November 2020, there are around 371 UK MPAs covering 38% of all UK waters, and 178 of these are English (40%). However, according to Marine Conservation Society scientists, less than 1% of these are considered to be well managed; this is a huge problem, affecting many species.
MPAs protect many of our amazing, diverse species - from residents, to seasonal migrants, to those just passing through.
Most MPAs are coastal: these habitats are not only the most studied, but also receive the most human interference compared to offshore areas. There can also be problems with setting up MPAs in the open ocean due to the waters being used by multiple countries. MPAs protect many of our amazing, diverse species - from residents, to seasonal migrants, to those just passing through. The areas can be protected for breeding or feeding grounds, migration routes, and even carbon sinks (e.g. salt marshes). This is extremely important in maintaining the biodiversity of marine habitats and increasing populations back to their natural state after years of human intervention.
The number of UK MPAs are gradually increasing and there are even more that are yet to be confirmed around the Scottish coast. These aim to protect potential nursery areas, reefs and specific species like Risso’s dolphin. The proper management of those MPAs already in place also needs to be focused on. Many organisations are already putting great amounts of effort into these changes and this needs to continue. In MPAs, intentional or reckless killing or injuring specific wildlife is illegal and carries consequences as it is overtly against the areas’ conservation aims. So far, only 3 of the UK’s MPAs are ‘no-take’ zones meaning no interference at all is allowed including fishing. The other 368 have lower restrictions and commercial fishing may still be allowed to occur within them. This is a huge problem if fisheries use a destructive method like bottom trawling or dredging, which destroys habitats, or when bycatch of protected species (like sharks or dolphins) occurs in nets during purse seine or pelagic trawling methods. Even if these methods aren’t used and less invasive methods are, errors can still occur whereby lines snap or equipment breaks and pollutes the ocean. This can cause events like long term plastic pollution in a protected area or the loose nets can cover entire habitats resulting in devastating effects to its inhabitants.
Buying sustainably or reducing our intake where possible will not only protect MPAs but the sea as a whole.
We should strive for sustainable fishing methods in those areas that are not yet protected, so the need to fish in MPAs is depleted. We should have more ‘no-take’ zones as, even when ‘protected’, MPAs can still be interfered with and conservation is not as effective as it should be. We must be more aware of the methods by which the seafood we are consuming has arrived onto our plates. Buying sustainably or reducing our intake where possible will not only protect MPAs but the sea as a whole. If MPAs continue to increase and more become ‘no-take’ zones, we will see great improvement in our marine biodiversity and see less human impact over time.
The organisations and charities that perform this crucial work need ongoing support in the form of volunteering, donations or simply spreading the word.
By Owen Jewell
References
Assets.wwf.org.uk. 2005. An Overview of Marine Protected Areas In The UK. [online] Available at: <http://assets.wwf.org.uk/downloads/ma_overviewukmpa.pdf> [Accessed 8 December 2020]
GOV.UK. 2014. Managing Fisheries in Marine Protected Areas. [online] Available at: <https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/managing-fisheries-in-marine-protected-areas#history> [Accessed 8 December 2020]
Jncc.gov.uk. 2020. UK Marine Protected Area Network Statistics | JNCC - Adviser to Government on Nature Conservation. [online] Available at: <https://jncc.gov.uk/our-work/uk-marine-protected-area-network-statistics/> [Accessed 8 December 2020]
Legislation.gov.uk. 2009. Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009. [online] Available at: <https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2009/23/part/5/chapter/1> [Accessed 8 December 2020]
Mcsuk.org. 2020. Marine Protected Areas | Marine Conservation Society. [online] Available at: <https://www.mcsuk.org/mpa/map> [Accessed 8 December 2020]