Finding Sanctuary
Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs) will contribute to the network of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) being introduced under the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009, which received Royal Assent on 12November 2009. Their purpose is to develop an ecologically coherent and well-managed network of protected sites that is well understood and supported by sea-users and other stakeholders.
Finding Sanctuary is the first of four regional projects across England, having overall responsibility for this project in the South West region. Finding Sanctuary have contracted the Devon Maritime Forum to form a Local Group of sea users, such as fishermen, sea anglers and divers, to help plan Marine Conservation Zones off the Devon coastline. Together with MCZ Groups from Cornwall, Dorset and Somerset, the Devon MCZ Local Group (LG) will provide advice and feedback to the regional Finding Sanctuary Steering Group (SG), which is a decision making group made up of 39 representatives of key marine sectors in the South West. This process works as a circular system, with both LG and SG feeding back information to each other, allowing the LG to offer local knowledge and the SG to offer information on a regional basis.
Devon MCZ Local Group
Meeting Reports
Meeting 1 Report
– 7 December 2009
Meeting 2 Report
– 26 February 2009
This input from a local level should ensure that possible areas of conflict are identified in the planning stage, allowing an opportunity to work around such conflicts and resulting in stronger support from local communities. The principal aim of Finding Sanctuary is to identify Marine Conservation Zones that provide maximum benefits to nature and minimise the impact to stakeholders.
Finding Sanctuary Devon MCZ Group Handbook
The LG and SG aim to finish the mapping process by around December 2010, allowing Finding Sanctuary to deliver its recommendations by June 2011. Please see the documents on the left for summary reports from Devon MCZ Local Group meetings.
If you have an interest in the marine environment, or feel that Marine Conservation Zones may affect you, you are invited to get involved with the Finding Sanctuary project here.