Marine

21 June 2022

Highly Protected Marine Area Pilot Sites Announced

Five pilot sites of Highly Protected Marine Areas (HPMAs) for England have been announced. The proposed sites include two inshore sites – Allonby Bay and off the coast of Lindisfarne – and three offshore sites – two in the North Sea and one at Dolphin Head in the Channel.

The five pilot sites are subject to consultation with the process beginning later in the year.

HPMAs will effectively be ‘no-take’ zones for fishing activity. The selected pilot sites cover a mixture of marine habitats and include key “blue carbon” areas, such as biogenic reefs like mussel beds and honeycomb reefs, that are important for sequestering and storing atmospheric carbon.

The Angling Trust will be engaging with the angling sector to identify their views on the proposed sites and will respond to the consultation accordingly when it’s live. The Trust has been liaising closely with Defra to ensure that angling views are represented throughout the development of these sites. The Trust is also advocating for angling-only zones to be created around the no-take zones.

Hannah Rudd, Policy & Advocacy Manager said “Our seas are a shadow of what they once were and the Angling Trust welcome steps to restore our marine environment. We will be working closely with anglers and charter boats in proposed site areas to represent angling interests in the consultation. We welcome action from the government to balance the socio-economic impacts of the implementation of these sites with the ecological benefits they provide. Working with the local community is the only way to make these sites a success,  and ultimately we all want to see our marine environment thriving once again.”

Stuart Singleton-White, Head of Campaigns, said, “Anglers have taken a keen interest in HPMAs since the Benyon Report was launched in 2020.  HPMAs represent an exciting opportunity to improve the protection of our seas and the fish we love to catch, but Defra have to get this right to ensure our interests are properly represented.  While “no-take zones” may form part of these HPMAs we will argue for angling-only zones to be created so that sea angling can benefit from the “spillover effect” HMPAs are claimed to provide, and the social and economic benefits are maximised.”

You can read our response to the original Benyon Report here.

Share

You might also like




Competitions
19 November 2024

Angling Trust 2024 National Coarse Competitions Overview

Angling Trust Head of Competitions Steve Fitzpatrick reveals the highs and lows of the National Cham…
Read more
Marine
15 November 2024

Anglers represented at inaugural Bass Fisheries Management Group meeting…

On Friday 8th November the Angling Trust joined other bass fishery stakeholders for the first Bass F…
Read more
Competitions
05 November 2024

TEAM SAUL PAGE TACKLE WIN ANGLING TRUST TEAMS OF…

    Saul Page Tackle have scooped sea angling’s biggest team match event – the Ang…
Read more
Fighting for Fishing
04 November 2024

The Mighty Trent: A love letter to Britain’s greatest…

Like many anglers I’ve long been an admirer of Doncaster all-rounder Bob Roberts whose no nonsense w…
Read more
Get Fishing | Get Fishing Fund PR
Get Fishing News
04 November 2024

The Environment Agency and Angling Trust Get Fishing Fund…

Monday 4th November launch date £150k of funding will get even more people fishing, more often Grant…
Read more
Club Focus
29 October 2024

New Fisheries Support Service launched to help clubs and…

The Angling Trust has joined forces with the Environment Agency to launch a new service to provide a…
Read more
Anglers Against Pollution
25 October 2024

March for Clean Water – join us on Sunday,…

The Angling Trust is calling on all anglers and supporters to stand with us at the March for Clean W…
Read more
Anglers Against Pollution
23 October 2024

Angling Trust welcomes largest review of water companies since…

The announcement by the government of an independent commission to look at the largest review of the…
Read more
Competitions
21 October 2024

ENGLAND WIN SILVER, RINGER TAKES GOLD, AND MASTERS FINISH…

  The European Feeder Cup is a fledgling international event, but it is one that the Angling Tr…
Read more
Get Fishing News
16 October 2024

‘Lady of the Stream’ photographer Amber Banks Brumby captures…

Amber Banks Brumby is an angler, photographer and educator based in rural Staffordshire, West Midlan…
Read more
Competitions
14 October 2024

ANGLING TRUST APPOINT NEW MANAGER FOR ENGLAND DISABLED TEAM

The Angling Trust is delighted to confirm the appointment of Paul Etherington as manager of the Engl…
Read more
Competitions
14 October 2024

SILVER FOR ENGLAND IN MASTERS FEEDER WORLD CHAMPS

Match fishing at international level can be the proverbial game of two halves as World Champs are fi…
Read more