Today The Wildlife Trusts launch a new campaign – #WaveOfSupport – to give everyone across the country the chance to back 41 new Marine Conservation Zones and protect our part of the Blue Planet around the English coast. Eight of these are in Cornwall and Cornwall Wildlife Trust urge local people to support the campaign.
New campaign to protect wildlife at sea
Cornwall Wildlife Trusts are calling on everyone to join a giant wave of support for 41 new Marine Conservation Zones
Matt Slater
Recently, the government launched a consultation asking the public for their views about protecting a new group of Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs) – areas at sea where wildlife is protected from damaging activities. 41 special places around the UK have been chosen for the public to comment on; eight of these are around Cornish waters and range from rocky shores in the Camel Estuary, to special sand habitats in the South West Deeps.
None of these places will be designated unless there is public support for their protection. That is why Cornwall Wildlife Trust is urging the public to have their say and join a giant #WaveOfSupport e-action campaign which sends a message to the government calling for all 41 potential MCZs to be recognised and protected. The public has until Friday 20th July to make their views know. The e-action can be completed here www.wildlifetrusts.org/waveofsupport
John Yarrow
Ruth Williams, Marine Conservation Manager for Cornwall Wildlife Trust says,
“It is rare that people get a chance to influence the future of our precious seas and the beautiful but fragile wild places and animals that live there. Since The Wildlife Trusts’ president emeritus, Sir David Attenborough, brought us the Blue Planet series, there’s been a surge of interest in the wonders of marine life coupled with horror at the threats facing the delicate marine environment. We’re offering people a way of channeling this concern into a giant wave of public support to create a network of protected special places at sea.”
The Wildlife Trusts believe that the consultation is a step in the right direction for England’s seas. Proper protection of these sites after designation will be essential to ensure that our seas will be given the opportunity to recover.