Yorkshire Wildlife Trust have been campaigning along with others to secure better protection for marine habitats and wildlife found off Yorkshire’s spectacular coastline. The Trust has welcomed the news that Government has now designated Runswick Bay and Holderness Inshore as official Marine Conservation Zones.
North Sea Marine Advocacy Officer, Bex Lynam said: “Whilst many view the North Sea as bleak, cold and lifeless the seafloor is in fact a rich tapestry of wonderful marine habitats, from kelp forests and sandy plains to chalk reefs and deep rocky gullies. Marine Conservation Zones are areas at sea that we hope will be protected from the most damaging of human activities allowing habitats and wildlife to recover from past decline.
You can certainly enjoy the newly designated Marine Conservation Zones from the shore. A winter walk at low tide at Runswick bay will reveal rockpools full of marine wildlife including anemones, crabs and colourful seaweeds. And a walk along the Holderness Inshore from Skipsea to Spurn Point will treat you to a view of many wonderful coastal birds that rely on the area as a foraging ground for food. Below the waves, juvenile fish use the shallow waters as a nursery area and, if you’re very lucky, you might be treated to an exciting glimpse of some of the North Seas many marine mammals; harbour porpoise are often seen in this area.
While we are delighted by the news, the Trust will be campaigning further for more sites to be designated to protect marine wildlife. If you’d like to show your support for Marine Conservation Zones and the protection they afford our wildlife you can sign up to be a ‘Friend of MCZs’ on the Trust’s website
www.ywt.org.uk
