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Jersey’s coast and waters could become a National Marine Park, the Economic Development Minister has suggested in a new report.
In a report from marine conservation charity, Blue Marine Foundation, Senator Lyndon Farnham is quoted as saying the idea could “boost” Jersey’s reputation and showcase its waters.
“A Marine Park would protect and showcase the very best of Jersey’s sea habitats and boost its reputation as a forward-thinking and responsible jurisdiction,” the Minister is quoted as saying in the report.
The report names Jersey as one of 10 areas across the UK and the Channel Islands with potential to take on nationally recognised marine park status.
Marine Parks, the report says, are comparable to National Parks - multiple use areas with different zones, allowing different types of activities which bring together marine protected areas with “carefully managed commercial and recreational uses.”
Pictured: Jersey is one of ten zones the Blue Marine Foundation have singled out as having potential to be a Marine Park.
On Jersey’s potential, the report highlights the 2,000ha of the island designated as a Coastal National Park, four Ramsar wetlands of “international importance”, and the Marine Protected Areas designated to protect over 6% of the island’s waters.
It also mentions how the gift of the seabed by the Crown Estate offers opportunities for “community stewardship".
With this in mind, it suggests working in tandem with the Island Plan, Marine Plan and Integrated Coastal Zone Management, to create a more “holistic vision” for the island’s coast, encouraging a protected environment working alongside cultural heritage, and sustainable fishery.
Charles Alluto, CEO of National Trust Jersey added in the report: “It makes perfect sense to have a national park that extends beyond the shoreline to the sea around Jersey.
“The National Trust welcomes it wholeheartedly and it’s really important that it is integrated into the Island Plan.
“We need a well thought-out concept that will also be well resourced so that it can be effectively delivered.”
Pictured: 2,000 ha of Jersey is already designated a Coastal National Park following a decision in 2011.
Charles Clover, Executive Director of Blue Marine Foundation, said: “It is remarkable that we have no parks in the sea after 70 years of parks on land.
“In the early 1950s, people were putting into practice an idea that had been around since Yellowstone in the 1870s, but they stopped at the shore.
“Back then, just after the war, the sea was still the Cruel Sea, it was a bit intimidating, under-explored but still endless and bountiful.
“Now we have a different perspective, we are more connected to the ocean through TV and we are more aware of its vulnerability and how much our lives depend on it.
“Our natural heritage is right there, just off the beach, but paradoxically the public is hardly involved in the enjoyment or the stewardship of this island nation’s greatest asset.
“No wonder the barometer of informed opinion is swinging towards the concept of marine parks around Britain’s coastline, with the pioneering model of Plymouth’s National Marine Park leading the way.”
Pictured: Senator Lyndon Farnham suggested the designation could "protect and showcase" Jersey's waters.
Natasha Bradshaw, co-author of the report, said: “Our research shows that attempts to protect parts of the sea with multiple complicated designations with different acronyms have left the public behind.
“Everyone understands and knows about National Parks – we need the same recognition for the sea.
“In talking to people for our research, I explained that Britain did not have any national parks in the sea and we asked what they thought about the idea of Marine Parks. As we spoke and they thought about the idea, there was a real sense of opportunity.
“Everyone I interviewed warmed up to the idea as we talked about it, especially when they heard more about Plymouth.”
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