Skip to main content
Site logo

Main navigation

  • About Sir Jeremy
  • My Plan
  • Latest news
  • Weekly Newsletters
  • Protect our Green Spaces
  • Royal Surrey Cancer & Surgical Innovation Centre
  • Contact
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • instagram
Site logo

Blue Belt

  • Tweet

I am delighted that 23 new Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs) have been announced, in addition to the 27 designated in the last Parliament and over 500 other marine protected areas that already existed in the UK. Together these help fulfil the ambitious pledge to create a 'Blue Belt' of protection for our diverse marine wildlife, which now covers over 20 per cent of English waters.

This brings the number of English MCZs to 50, covering an area roughly equivalent to the whole of Wales, or 13 times the size of Greater London. They will protect 45 different types of habitat, geological features and fascinating sea creatures, including stalked jellyfish and spiny lobsters.

The new zones represent the second of three phases of MCZs, the third of which will be put out for consultation soon. They build on further work to protect the marine environment, which includes new consultations on Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) for harbour porpoise and Special Protection Areas (SPAs) to protect feeding and bathing areas used by iconic seabirds, such as spoonbills in Poole Harbour and puffins on the Northumberland coast.

I am pleased to note that a new marine protected area has also been announced to surround the Pitcairn Islands, and the Blue Belt will be extended around the UK's 14 Overseas Territories where there is local support and environmental need. It was announced most recently that the Atlantic Ocean's largest marine reserve is being created around Ascension, covering an area almost the size of the United Kingdom.

 

National Campaigns

  • Health
  • Brexit
  • Cabinet
  • Communities and Local Government
  • Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
    • Blue Belt
    • Breeding and Sale of Pets
    • Green Belt
    • Grouse Shooting
    • Microbeads
    • Plastic Packaging
    • Pulse Fishing
    • Sea Bass
    • Agriculture Bill
    • Environmental Protections after Brexit
    • Food Labelling
    • Food Safety Standards and Trade
    • Fur Trade
    • Future Environmental Policy
    • Hunting Imports
    • Live Animal Exports
    • Plastic Free Parliament
    • Wild Animals in Circuses
  • Foreign Affairs
  • HMRC
  • Home Office
  • International Development
  • Justice
  • Treasury
  • Work and Pensions
  • Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
  • Defence
  • Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
  • Education
  • International Trade
  • Transport

Rt Hon Sir Jeremy Hunt MP for Godalming and Ash

Footer

  • About RSS
  • Accessibility
  • Cookies
  • Privacy
  • About Sir Jeremy
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • instagram
Promoted by Sean Donovan-Smith on behalf of Jeremy Hunt, both at 2 Royal Parade, Tilford Road, Hindhead, Surrey GU26 6TD
Copyright 2025 Rt Hon Sir Jeremy Hunt MP for Godalming and Ash. All rights reserved.
Powered by Bluetree