Select a region
An extended network of Marine Protected Areas in Jersey’s territorial waters that would "form the basis of a marine park" is to be proposed by the Environment Minister.
Deputy Jonathan Renouf will bring forward a proposition by the end of this year setting out a "detailed timetable and methodology" for establishing the boundaries of the park and how it will be managed.
A marine park is a type of marine protected area (MPA). According to National Geographic, an MPA is a section of the ocean where a government has placed limits on human activity.
Marine parks are multiple-use MPAs, meaning they have different zones allowing different types of activities.
Pictured: Ang Thong National Marine Park in Thailand encourages activities such as kayaking.
Marine parks usually allow recreational activities, such as boating, snorkeling, and sport fishing. Most marine parks also include zones for commercial fishing, sometimes called open zones. They may also include no-take zones, which prohibit extractive activities, such as fishing, mining, and drilling.
Marine parks are very similar to local parks on land. They are used by the community and often have facilities to encourage their use. They also face many of the same problems as parks on land, such as overuse and pollution.
A bid to create a marine park covering more than a third of the island’s waters was brought forward by then-Senator Lyndon Farnham last year, but was rejected during the Bridging Island Plan debate.
While all Members who spoke during the debate supported greater protection of the marine environment, Senator Farnham’s plan failed because it was widely felt that creating a Marine National Park through a planning designation would be an empty gesture.
The Environment and External Relations Ministers also warned that it could be counter-productive during unresolved and sensitive negotiations with the EU and France over fishing rights after Brexit.
Pictured: The dotted line shows the boundary of the proposed Marine National Park, which Members rejected.
Conservation groups Blue Marine Foundation and the National Trust for Jersey – who had both strongly supported then-Senator Farnham’s bid to include the park in the Bridging Island Plan – said they were “disheartened” the rejection of the proposal to create a 900 km2 marine national park around Jersey.
“In doing so they have chosen to go against poll findings showing that 85% of Jersey’s islanders are in favour of a marine park, rising to 91% among 17-24-year-olds," the conservation groups said in a joint statement following the decision.
Although States Members rejected then-Senator Farnham's proposal by 14 votes to 27, they subsequently agreed to a plan by Deputy Young to come up with a ‘marine spatial plan’ for Jersey’s territorial waters by 2025.
This was planned to not only cover fishing, but also set out policies around offshore renewable energy and carbon sequestration.
The network of protected areas is being created as part of a Marine Spatial Plan – similar to the Island Plan but for Jersey’s territorial waters – that will be put out for public consultation after a draft version is published.
Currently only around 6.4% of the island’s territorial waters are designated with the MPA status, which protects against potentially destructive fishing practices such as bottom trawling.
Earlier this year, Freddie Watson, Jersey project manager for the Blue Marine Foundation – which champions ocean conservation around the world – said that the network of MPAs being developed "could well form the basis of a marine park".
Jersey also last year joined an international ‘30 by 30’ pledge, to conserve 30% of the globe’s terrestrial and marine habitat and protect it from destructive practices by 2030.
Pictured: Environment Minister Jonathan Renouf is bringing forward plans for an extended network of Marine Protected Areas in Jersey’s territorial waters that would "form the basis of a marine park".
Deputy Renouf said: "In the course of preparing the draft Marine Spatial Plan, it has become evident that a clear scientific basis exists to expand and add to our network of Marine Protected Areas.
"This will allow us to create a Marine Park in the island’s waters, covering around 30% of our territorial waters. This network will form part of Jersey’s delivery of the '30 by 30' initiative agreed at COP15 in December 2022.
"The proposition, which I plan to lodge in the next few months, will set out the detailed timetable and methodology for establishing the boundaries of the park, and its management.
"There will be a full consultation with all stakeholders, including with our own fishing fleet, and our neighbours in France and Guernsey."
Minister backs Jersey becoming 'National Marine Park'
FOCUS: Conservation...or friendly fishing relations?
States set to debate island's first 'no-take zone' at Portelet
Pictured top: The Écréhous could be included in new plans for a Jersey Marine Park. (James Bowden)
Comments
Comments on this story express the views of the commentator only, not Bailiwick Publishing. We are unable to guarantee the accuracy of any of those comments.