27 Aug 2019
Ascension Island Council ‘The Governor of St Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha has this week accepted the recommendation of the Ascension Island Council to designate a large-sale Marine Protected Area (MPA) in the waters around Ascension Island. The MPA will cover 100% of Ascension’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), an area of over 440,000 square […]
30 Jul 2019
The Blue Belt Programme supports the delivery of the UK government’s commitment to enhance marine protection for over four million square kilometres of marine environment across the UK Overseas Territories (UKOTs). The programme is providing up to £20 million between 2016 and 2020 to: Improve scientific understanding of the marine environment Develop and implement evidence-based, […]
24 Feb 2019
New technologies have the potential to represent, and indeed define, the lasting legacy of the Blue Belt Programme. If implemented effectively, with sufficient consideration given as to their application in the context of the fisheries enforcement issues the Overseas Territories seek to address, then new technologies could represent a real ‘game-changer’. On 16 January 2019, […]
12 Jun 2018
Defra: ‘Marine Conservation Zones: third tranche of designations consultation Consultation description We want to know what you think about our proposals to designate a further 41 MCZs around the UK. We are also seeking your views on plans to add new features to 12 existing MCZs. MCZs are areas of sea where we protect rare or important features from damaging […]
03 Nov 2017
The Blue Belt programme supports delivery of the UK government’s commitment to provide long term protection for the marine environment. The Blue Belt programme supports delivery of the UK government’s manifesto commitment to provide long term protection of over four million square kilometres of marine environment across the UK Overseas Territories. It provides £20 million of […]
19 Sep 2017
The 4th International Marine Protected Areas Congress recently took place in Chile IMPAC4 – click here for the website. Two main items a Blog from the MMOs Craig McGarvey on UK’s approach to the Blue Belt & and a video on the High Seas issues from James Nikitine. UK Blue Belt – global ambitions for marine […]
26 Sep 2016
The Foreign & Commonwealth Office has announced plans to create a ‘Blue Belt’ of marine protection around the United Kingdom and around its Overseas Territories. The UK designated its first marine reserve thirty years ago off the coast of England around the tiny island of Lundy. Since then, it has established Marine Protected Areas around […]
17 Jan 2016
Defra 17 January 2016 ‘Twenty-three new Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs) will bring the total to 50 and cover more than a fifth of English waters. Twenty-three new areas along the UK coast were today announced as the latest Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs) to be awarded environmental protection by the government, extending the country’s ‘Blue Belt’ […]