Defra have recently announced a pre-consultation on 37 potential sites for consideration during the second tranche of Marine Conservation Zone (MCZ) designation. During this pre-consultation period, Defra aim to engage with stakeholders to seek their views on key issues at a local and national level, and to refine site-specific information.
A formal public consultation will be held regarding these sites early 2015, with the intention to designate Tranche 2 of MCZs at the end of 2015. MCZ designation will depend on the potential contribution of the site towards addressing gaps in the network of MPAs. Management of the existing MCZs are also under review, with Natural England assessing whether 15 intertidal sites should be re-designated as SSSIs rather than MCZs.
For more information on the candidate sites please visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/marine-conservation-zones-february-2014-update
