Marine Conservation Zones 

RYA working to ensure that recreational boating's interests are considered.

Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs) (known as Marine Protected Areas in Scotland) are proposed to extend environmental protection at sea to include nationally important marine wildlife, habitats, geology and geomorphology.

They are being designed to protect a wide range of marine wildlife and will combine with the existing conservation sites to form a ‘coherent network’

The RYA has worked to minimise the impact of the developing network of MCZs on recreational boaters on all four of the English Regional Stakeholder Groups (RSG).

RYA Scotland and the Welsh Yachting Association are engaging directly with the Marine Protected Area (MPA) process in their respective countries

RYA ensured recreational boating was considered

The RYA was successful in ensuring, that the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009 provided that socio-economic activities could be be taken in to consideration in the designation of MCZ's.

Recreational boating is a key socio-economic activity within UK waters. Without this provision in the Act the designation of MCZs would have been made purely on ecological grounds. Recreational boating may have had no voice at all.

More information on Marine Conservations Zones