Richard Benyon MP

Parliamentary Under Secretary of State

DEFRA

Nobel House

17 Smith Square

London SW1P 3JR

Date: 22^nd February 2013 

Dear Richard,

I am writing with regard to your Department’s consultation on proposals for the designation of Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs). 

Many of my constituents have written to me about this, setting out their strong views that all  127 MCZs should be designated as soon as possible, and highlighting their concerns that you are proposing to slash this number to a mere 31 areas this year, with no firm commitment to further designations in the future.

I am deeply concerned that you are proposing to ignore the recommendation of the four Government-funded regional projects, which cost millions of pounds and engaged all the marine industry bodies as well as about a million stakeholders. These identified and recommended 127 MCZs in English seas, and your Science Advisory Panel agreed that these 127 zones are crucial to meeting our international commitment to establish a marine protected area network. I therefore urge you to reconsider, and to take forward the designation of all 127 proposed Marine Conservation Zones as quickly as possible.

Public support for this is overwhelming – both in my constituency as well as nationally, as demonstrated by the Marine Conservation Society’s online survey Your Sea Your Voice.

I disagree with claims that the economic implications of designation outweigh the conservation benefits - and I think that this is a worrying example of short-sighted, wrong-headed thinking. A robust network of marine protected areas is vital not only for nature conservation, including species such as dolphins and seabirds, but also for the future of sustainable fishing in the UK and for the long-term prosperity of coastal constituencies such as Brighton Pavilion. Furthermore, it is in the interests of companies who want to develop at sea, for example by building offshore wind, to have these sites identified early on, to help them identify which sites should be developed.

I urge you to reconsider and to proceed with the designation of all 127 Marine Conservation Zones as soon as possible. Thank you in advance for your attention to this matter and I look forward to your response.

Yours sincerely,

Caroline Lucas MP, Brighton Pavilion