AN AREA in the eastern Irish Sea near Copeland has been classified as a ‘Marine Conservation Zone’ (MCZ) by the Department for Food, Environment and Rural Affairs (Defra).

These zones are described on gov.uk as “areas that protect a range of nationally important, rare or threatened habitats and species.”

Forty one new conservation zones have been created, including ‘West of Copeland’, where the seabed is sensitive to damage from trawling and dredging.

Others in the Irish Sea are: Wyre-Lune; South Rigg; Solway Firth; Queenie Corner; and Ribble Estuary.

A government consultation last summer received 1,800 responses from people across the North West who were in favour of protective measures.

Emily Baxter, senior marine conservation officer for the North West Wildlife Trusts [Cumbria, Cheshire and Lancashire], led the campaign for Marine Conservation Zones in the North West.

She said: “The protection of these areas is crucial to the recovery of an array of underwater habitats and threatened species that have suffered from decades of over-exploitation.”

She added: “This network of protected areas will help to ensure that our most special, sensitive and important marine life and habitats have the space to recover from past damage and declines.

“However, this will only happen if these are properly managed. That is now our next step: to ensure that management of these zones is implemented and enforced.”