A New Initiative for Coastal Communities
The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) has unveiled its latest campaign, “Your Coast – Explore, Enjoy, Protect”, which aims to engage coastal communities in shaping the management of marine recreational activities within marine protected areas (MPAs). This initiative seeks to foster a collaborative approach towards the conservation of vital marine environments.
The campaign’s initial phase is centred around a call for evidence, focusing on understanding the impact of various marine recreational activities on protected features in MPAs. These features include crucial benthic habitats, avian populations, marine mammals such as grey and harbour seals, and important ecosystems like reef habitats and seagrass beds.
Understanding Marine Recreational Activities
The MMO is examining a broad spectrum of marine activities that fall within this scope. These activities include anchoring, diving, snorkelling, the use of hovercraft, motorboats, personal watercraft like jet skis, paddle sports (such as kayaking and paddleboarding), sailing, wildlife watching from boats, and wind sports (including windsurfing and kitesurfing).
To gather valuable insights, the MMO is reaching out to various stakeholders, including partners, conservation organisations, academics, and recreational water users. An online survey has been initiated, inviting participants to review existing evidence and contribute any additional knowledge, data, or insights they may possess.
Contributing to Marine Conservation
This call for evidence is a fundamental component of the MMO’s marine non-licensable activity (mNLA) initiative, which aims to evaluate and manage recreational activities and anchoring practices across all inshore English MPAs. In conjunction with the survey launch, the MMO is also appealing for individuals to share photographs and images depicting protected seabed habitats and wildlife.
Recreational divers, underwater photographers, and marine enthusiasts are encouraged to contribute to this vital project. By participating, they will enhance awareness of these often-overlooked coastal features and support the MMO’s essential conservation efforts.
Guidelines for Responsible Wildlife Photography
When capturing images of marine wildlife, it is crucial to adhere to the Marine and Coastal Wildlife Code, which offers guidance on minimising disturbances to marine life.
Jessica Churchill-Bissett, the Head of Marine Conservation (Wildlife) at the MMO, emphasised the significance of this initiative. She stated, “England’s marine protected areas harbour some of the most remarkable and seldom-seen habitats and species in our seas. Your Coast – Explore, Enjoy, Protect is our invitation to those who are most familiar with these waters—divers, boaters, kayakers, and coastal communities. We rely on your support to ensure their preservation for future generations. This call for evidence represents a pivotal step. Every piece of evidence, photograph, and local insight contributes to shaping our future strategies.”
How to Get Involved
Individuals can share their underwater photographs and images of seabed habitats by emailing conservation@marinemangement.org.uk. Additionally, stakeholders are encouraged to submit evidence, data, observations, or studies and participate in the survey.
Marine non-licensable activities, which encompass recreational pursuits such as anchoring, diving, snorkelling, kayaking, and wildlife watching boat tours, do not require a marine licence but may still pose risks to the protected habitats and species within MPAs.
For further information, resources on marine non-licensable activities, including guidance, sites, and evidence, are available on the official government website.