PRESS RELEASE

Finding Sanctuary, a pioneering project that is designing a network of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in the seas around South West England, is calling for key representatives of marine livelihoods and leisure activities to join its Steering Group to help plan where the MPAs should go.

Finding Sanctuary is the first of four regional projects to be established around England that will deliver a network of MPAs as proposed in the forthcoming Marine and Coastal Access Act.

Shared decision-making is the hallmark of this project, and Finding Sanctuary has bought together a wide cross-section of stakeholders from the beginning, so it can explore different MPA network configurations, identify conflicts, and find ways of working around them.

Tom Hooper, Finding Sanctuary’s Project Manager explains: “The goal of the MPA network is to safeguard our region’s undersea habitats and marine wildlife, and to help ensure the long-term sustainability of marine resources in the region.  If the MPA network is to be viable, it must be capable of delivering clear benefits for nature conservation, whilst minimising the impacts and maximising the benefits to stakeholders. In order to gain a true picture of how the South West marine environment is being used, and how a network of MPAs can best benefit those who use the sea, we need an all-encompassing representation of each stakeholder group.”

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Sir Harry StudholmeThe Steering Group is currently made up of 15 members representing recreational sea angling, statutory nature conservation, marine scientists, nature conservation NGOs, fishery management and  enforcement, inshore and offshore fishermen, offshore renewable energy, ports and shipping, The Crown Estate, regional tourism, recreational diving, and maritime forums. Tom continues:  “Ideally we would like people to form alliances with existing Steering Group members, in order to keep the number to a manageable size, but it is important that each sector feels it is well represented.”

Sir Harry Studholme, Chairman of the Steering Group explains: “Steering Group representatives should have a high profile and excellent knowledge of the sector they are representing.  They must also be willing to actively speak about the interests of their stakeholder group in discussions and engage positively in the process.  Their role will be to work together with the other members of the Group over the next three years to design the MPA network, with support provided by the Finding Sanctuary team.

“This network of MPAs will be the first in the UK, and one of only a handful worldwide. This is an ambitious task, and one that requires careful and sensitive planning from a skilled and committed team. Finding Sanctuary urges those who currently don’t feel represented on the group to become involved as it is important that decisions are made fairly, with the early input, understanding and guidance of all those whose livelihoods or leisure activity could be changed by the MPA network.”

The deadline for applications is Friday 6th March 2009 and applications will be considered by the Steering Group on 11th March 2009.

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