Highly Protected Marine Areas

Tuesday 28th February 2023 Written Statements

[The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Dr Thérèse Coffey)]

I am announcing my intention to designate the first Highly Protected Marine Areas (HPMAs) - North East of Fames Deep, Allonby Bay and Dolphin Head. These will contribute to the Government’s vision under our UK Marine Strategy for

‘clean, healthy, safe, productive, and biologically diverse ocean and seas’.

They will increase the scope and protection of protected areas at sea and will allow sites to fully recover, increasing resilience to climate change. This forms part of our commitment to deliver 30by30 under the Global Biodiversity Framework.

Between 6 July and 28 September 2022 my Department led a public consultation on five candidate HPMAs. The sites included two inshore: Allonby Bay (located in the Irish Sea) and Lindisfarne (Northern North Sea). The other three were offshore: North East of Fames Deep (Northern North Sea), Inner Silver Pit South (Southern North Sea) and Dolphin Head (Eastern Channel).

Over 900 responses to the consultation were received, and after carefully considering these and further evidence, including economic impacts, I will proceed with designating North East of Fames Deep as set out in the consultation. For Allonby Bay and Dolphin Head, I will designate modified areas.

I will not designate Lindisfarne, owing to the impacts on the local community raised during the consultation, nor Inner Silver Pit South, owing to the high costs to fishers identified during the impact analysis.

The revised Allonby Bay HPMA boundary allows for an area of recreational angling, including access for disabled anglers, and for other activities to continue due to its importance to the community and takes account of the needs of Maryport Harbour and the Port of Silloth while still delivering important biodiversity benefits. The revised boundary for Dolphin Head is to improve compliance and enforcement. The new boundary still provides high ecological benefits, whilst straightening the western most point of the site boundary.

These HPMAs will be designated as “Marine Conservation Zones” under the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009 by 6 July 2023.

I have asked officials to explore additional sites for consideration this year.

The Government Response will be available on www.gov.uk.

[HCWS585]