The highest degree of protection in our waters will be found in Highly Protected Marine Areas (HPMAs). Within the HPMA boundary, they will protect all species and habitats, allowing nature to fully recover.
This is the most recent step taken by the government to fulfill its lofty ocean commitments, and it expands on the network of marine protected areas (MPAs) that currently covers 40% of the English seas.
Activities like fishing, dredging, construction, and anchoring will be forbidden in HPMA sites to allow the ecosystem to return to as natural a state as possible.
The highest levels of protection for our oceans will be provided by highly protected marine areas, according to environment minister Rebecca Pow.
They will increase the resilience of our ecosystem and enable the flourishing of the marine environment by assisting a wide range of valuable habitats and species in fully recovering.
It is more crucial than ever that we take decisive action to protect nature while making sure we can continue to meet the sustainable needs of those who depend on our seas as demands on our oceans increase.
Defra is seeking input on five potential pilot HPMAs that cover both inshore and offshore habitats and are geographically dispersed throughout English waters. Which are:
Two inshore locations: Lindisfarne and Allonby Bay (Irish Sea) (Northern North Sea).
Three offshore locations: Dolphin Head, Inner Silver Pit South, and North East of Farnes Deep in the Northern North Sea (Eastern Channel).
The five candidate pilot sites contain a wide variety of biodiversity, including protected intertidal mudflats, subtidal kelp forests, and biogenic and rocky reef. They are a mix of natural and degraded sites.
In addition, they contain blue carbon habitats, which are crucial for capturing and storing carbon, as well as important fish stocks and valuable marine species.
Ecological analysis and guidance from Natural England and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee were used to choose the candidate sites (JNCC).
Tony Juniper, chair of Natural England, stated that Highly Protected Marine Areas will be a crucial mechanism to reverse the damage imposed on our ocean and safeguard it for future generations by supporting the full recovery of vital marine ecosystems.
As we move closer to ensuring the long-term sustainability of our ocean, I welcome this consultation because the five potential sites described today offer the chance to safeguard some of our most vulnerable marine creatures.
The consultation will start today, July 6, 2022, and last for 12 weeks. The evidence gained will guide the selection of candidate sites for pilot HPMAs. In 2023, the initial HPMAs will be announced.