Bright Future for Local Seas
by Jolyon Chesworth, Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust
Our
coasts and seas are made up of a mosaic of different habitats, each one
supporting different communities of wildlife. The Hampshire shores are some of
the best areas for wading birds in Europe and also support rich meadows of
seagrass, a scarce flowering plant that acts as a nursery ground for juvenile
fish, which seek shelter amongst its dense leaves.
Further out in to the Solent and beyond, sand and gravel dunes, rise out of the seabed up to 20 meters high. These dune systems attract shoals of large predatory fish, such as bass, rays and even sharks, which come in to feed on the sand eels that live in these areas.
Our most diverse habitats are boulders and rocks, these are stable and so don’t get washed around by tides and currents, making them ideal for gardens of seaweeds, sponges, anemones, and corals to grow on them.
Our seas are rich and full of life, but they are still a shadow of their former selves due to increases in human activities. Extracting sand and gravel from the seabed for the construction industry, fishing, port and harbour development and pollution have all had an effect on the quality of the habitats and life in our seas.
In 2009 the Government passed a new and groundbreaking piece of legislation, the Marine and Coastal Access Act. It was recognised that something needed to be done to safeguard our seas so that wildlife could recover and our use of the seas valuable resources could be more sustainable.
The Act requires the designation of Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs), areas that will be managed for the benefit of the habitats and wildlife within them. Currently, less than 5% of UK seas receive any protection, and less than 1% is protected from all damaging activities.
In South East England a Government funded project, called Balanced Seas, has been set up to research and recommend where MCZs should go. The project is nearing completion and over 30 different draft MCZs have been identified. The selected areas are amongst the best for a variety of different habitats and species and contain seagrass, sponge and coral gardens, seahorses and the beautiful stalked jellyfish.
There is still a long way to go before these areas are designated and functioning properly to protect our local marine habitats and wildlife. Government must still be encouraged to act upon its commitment and ensure that appropriate management of potentially damaging activities is carried out.
Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust will continue to work to ensure Marine Conservation Zones do what they say and conserve our marine environment. With enough support, Marine Conservation Zones will help turn the tide for our marine life and enable it to thrive.
If you would like to find out more about our marine conservation work and how you can get involved look at our website www.hwt.org.uk