we need more ntz in scotlasnd

Flamborough Head named North Sea’s first No Take Zone

21 Sep 2010

The North Sea’s first ‘No Take Zone’ (NTZ) has been formally established to protect marine wildlife off Flamborough Head, East Yorkshire. This is the third NTZ to be designated in British waters and the first to incorporate intertidal habitat.

Lobsters, crabs, fish and kelp will all benefit from this newly designated marine protected area, which has the support of the local community and fisheries.

A No Take Zone means nothing can be removed from within the designated area, either above or below the high tidemark. Fish, seaweed, shellfish and rocks all have to be left where they are.

The NTZ covers an area of one square km and stretches from the Bridlington edge of Danes Dyke to Sewerby Steps for a distance of 700 metres seaward from the cliff base.

A formal byelaw protecting the area was confirmed by fisheries minister Richard Benyon on 21 July 2010 and has been fully supported by commercial and recreational fishers and associated onshore businesses.

David McCandless, chief fishery officer at North Eastern Sea Fisheries Committee (NESFC), said: “To receive formal confirmation that the NTZ is now fully established is very exciting, particularly since it is only one of three similar sites located in UK waters. This designation will provide a valuable insight into the role and value of No Take Zones in both marine fisheries and environmental conservation and management.”

Natural England and NESFC will conduct a monitoring programme over five years to see how the management of the NTZ affects the size of edible crabs and common lobsters.

Leanne Stockdale, the marine adviser who will be carrying out the programme for Natural England, said: “The data we collect will help us to understand what works and what doesn’t, and that will benefit all stakeholders in our collective management of the North Sea.”

The other two NTZs in UK waters are Lundy Island, which is also a Marine Conservation Zone, in England; and Lamlash Bay on the Isle of Arran in Scotland.