Then what is 31 out of 127?
The answer is, frankly, dreadful.
The long-awaited, considerably delayed proposals for the protection of England’s coasts and seas were unveiled today. Of 127 sites proposed for protection, only “up to”’ 31 are recommended for designation in 2013, and there appears to be no clear commitment to any further rounds of designation.
This falls pitifully short of the coherent network of marine protected areas that we need around our shores.
The Government’s own advisors had identified 57 sites as being at high risk. Less than half of these are to be progressed.
So the government that claimed it would be the “greenest government ever” is still failing our fragile marine life.
But we are not giving up. The deal is not yet done. We are studying the proposals in detail, and will be calling on your help to step up and save our sealife in 2013.
PS If you want to read the detail yourself, the DEFRA press release announcing the new Marine Conservation Zones can be found here - http://www.defra.gov.uk/news/2012/12/13/marine-conservations-zones/
Image: Anthony Griffiths