The government has recently announced a second tranche of potential marine conservation zones. This is very welcome news, and we expect it to be followed by a third tranche of designations next year. Many of the areas up for designation have been heavily fished in the past, and an important question remains as to whether protecting these sites will lead to the marine habitats and fish stocks recovering.
Evidence from tropical marine sites strongly supports the argument that marine wildlife recovers if marine nature reserves are established. The abundance of fish appears to recover the most quickly, with an increase in average fish size following soon after. Species diversity recovers, but at a slower rate. Until recently there has been little evidence to confirm these findings in the waters around UK coasts, however.
That is why a paper recently published by the Marine Institute at Plymouth University, is so interesting and exciting. The paper documents the early natural recovery of the Lyme Bay Reefs, which are among the most important and visually stunning marine habitats in UK seas.
In 2008, a 200km2 area of Lyme Bay was identified to protect the sensitive reef biodiversity through the exclusion of scallop dredging and trawling across the seabed. It is important to note that only the most damaging activities were excluded; static gear fisheries, including potting and netting, diving for scallops, and recreational activities such as sea angling and scuba diving, were allowed to continue.
The paper is clear that it may take decades before full recovery is achieved. However, within the first three years of protection, this study showed positive responses occurring in commercially targeted species and other species that are good indicators of general biodiversity health. Species richness and total abundance increased in the protected areas of the Bay, and the attached life on boulders and cobbles between the bedrock increased significantly from a very impoverished statecover in 2008.
There are early indications that there will be strong commercial benefits beyond the protected areas. It is heartening to see a positive response so early, heralding benefits to both biodiversity and commercial fisheries.
This is a crucial piece of research, confirming what many of us suspected all along – that if we look after the natural environment, the economy will benefit in the long term too.
Harry Barton is Chief Executive of the Devon Wildlife Trust
