Riding the Wave - The Wildlife Trusts’ welcome a Marine and Coastal Access ACT!
It’s almost ten years since The Wildlife Trusts first pointed out that the seas around the UK, containing half our wildlife, were in dire trouble. Now, as a result of our combined effort (staff, members and volunteers) we have, after over ten years of campaigning secured a Marine and Coastal Access Act! During November, the Bill (which spent an incredible 6 months in the House of Lords - the second longest Bill in history!) received royal ascent and became an Act!
The future of our marine life?
Now, the journey really begins. We have in place the necessary legislation to allow the creation of an ecologically coherent network of Marine Protected Areas. This network will be implemented through four regional Marine Conservation Zone projects – the North Sea project is called Net Gain. Our job is to ensure the MPA network is established with wildlife at the heart, protecting not only the rare and threatened but a range of marine species and habitats. Through input into the Net Gain project we will provide information and data supporting the establishment of Marine Conservation Zones. However, we cannot do this alone. We need your help to achieve our vision of Living Seas, ones in which wildlife thrives from the depths of the ocean to the coastal shallows, where wildlife recovers from past declines and adapts to climate change and where people feel inspired by marine wildlife and the value the sea has on their quality of life. Help us do this and join us on our journey towards Living Seas by:
- Getting outside and exploring your marine environment, visiting a local coastal nature reserve.
- Telling others what’s out there, helping us promote the marine environment
- Sending us underwater photographs, videos or your stories of the sea
- Or by attending events or helping volunteer to collect valuable information that will highlight areas of marine life in need of protection.