Conservation Areas

Over the coming months the Kent & Essex IFCA will be developing resources which describe in more detail the Marine Protected Areas in our district. In the meantime our partners at The UK Marine Protected Areas Centre provide a resource for information and news on Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in the UK. This site can be accesssed here: http://www.ukmpas.org

Through this external site you can:

Get the latest MPA news (including events, legislation and new research)

Read and upload examples of best practice and case studies

Use the fora to discuss topics and issues with other practitioners

Search the extensive reference library catalogue relating to MPA research and recent reports

Find useful presentations and images to download

Use the interactive map to guide you to site based information on MPAs, including their designations, habitats, species and activities.

Link to existing websites of individual European Marine Sites, other MPAs.

MARINE CONSERVATION ZONES

Natural England has provided advice to Government on recommended Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs), 9 of which are within our District. A public consultation process will now take place between December 2012 and February 2013 with Defra taking the lead. The Authority will be included in this process.

Natural England provided KEIFCA Members with a presentation at the Authority meeting on 6 September 2012 updating them on the progress of MCZs. A copy of this presentation can be found here. More detailed information on where the MCZs are located can be found at:

http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20120502155440/http://www.balancedseas.org/page/RSG%20Resources.html