Medway Nursery Area

The UK s largest no-take zone

Working with Rochester Oyster and Floating Fishery, Kent and Essex IFCA is leading the way in marine conservation with the creation of the UK's largest no take zone in the Medway Estuary. The new River Medway Nursery Area (Prohibition of Fishing) Byelaw will prohibit any fishing activity in an area of the Medway four times larger than the City of London Located along the north Kent coast, Medway Estuary encompasses a large area of intertidal habitat. The no-take zone covers 12.1 square kilometres (4.6 square miles) of saltmarsh and mudflat environments that are vitally important to a wide variety of fish. The shallow waters have been identified as a nursery area, as they provide a refuge for fish during their juvenile stages, allowing them to shelter from predators and storms whilst supporting an abundance of prey for them to feed on. Browse the links to find out more about Medway Nursery No-Take Zone, or find out more about the need for protection here:

What is a nursery area?

How does the Medway Nursery No-Take Zone help juvenile fish?