The Government has published plans for a new network of marine conservation zones around Britain’s coast.

The nature reserves will have clear conservation objectives to protect habitats and species of national importance from some types of fishing, dredging or other forms of development.

The plans are included in the long-awaited draft marine bill alongside other proposals to manage and protect our coastal and marine waters.

Environment Secretary, Hilary Benn said: “Our seas are already showing the effects of climate change and with increasing use of the sea by many competing interests we must make sure that the marine environment can cope with changing conditions. We have a duty to look after our seas for future generations.

"Our proposals will raise protection and management of our seas to a new level, halting the decline in biodiversity to create clean, healthy, safe, productive and biologically diverse oceans and seas.”

Jonathan Shaw, the marine and fisheries minister, added: "The draft marine bill is a major step forward in marine protection and planning. It will benefit all who make a living from the sea by helping to get the most we can from it in a sustainable way while protecting precious resources."

A map of sites set to be considered for the new marine protection has been drawn up by the University of Bangor and includes many around the Westcountry coastline.

Varying levels of protection will be given, from restricting certain activities like fishing or aggregate dredging to "Highly Protected Marine Reserves", where no damaging activities will be allowed. The only such site at present is off Lundy, where lobster and crab populations have increased as a result of fishing restrictions.

However, environmental groups are concerned that the bill does not go far enough in protecting marine species and habitats.
The Marine Conservation Society wants to see between 20 & 40% of UK seas protected as marine reserves but it is believed the government will not commit to more than 20% and some of that is likely to consist of partially-protected “marine conservation zones” rather than full reserves.

Simon Brockington, head of conservation at the MCS, said: "Our seas are in a thoroughly run-down state, as can be seen from the collapse of our fisheries, and it's about time the government recognised the consequences of its actions over the last three or four decades.

"But they don't appear to have recognised that in this bill."

Currently just 2% of the UK's seas are protected, with less than 0.002% afforded full protection according to the MCS.