A NEW marine park would ‘benchmark Jersey as a world leader in marine protection’, an ocean conservation charity has said, following the government’s announcement of proposals to expand a network of protected areas in the Island’s territorial waters.
Charles Clover, co-founder of the Blue Marine Foundation, said that the proposed park would ‘set an example internationally of how ocean territories should be effectively managed for the good of all’.
However, Jersey Fishermen’s Association president Don Thompson said his members were ‘very concerned that fishermen are going to lose their livelihoods’.
Currently 6.4% of Jersey’s waters are designated Marine Protected Areas, a title which comes with protection against potentially destructive fishing practices such as bottom trawling.
Environment Minister Jonathan Renouf plans to lodge a proposition in the next few months which will ‘set out the detailed timetable and methodology for establishing the boundaries of the park, and its management’.
‘There will be a full consultation with all stakeholders, including with our own fishing fleet, and our neighbours in France and Guernsey,’ he added.
An initial attempt to create a marine park covering more than a third of the Island’s waters was brought forward by Deputy Lyndon Farnham last year, but those plans were rejected during the Bridging Island Plan debate.
Concerns were raised during those discussions about the reaction of French fishermen and fears that it would be ‘inappropriate’ to agree to protect more areas because the French could argue that Jersey was not using the powers set out in trade agreements in a fair and methodological way.
Deputy Renouf said there was now evidence, which will be published in the Marine Spatial Plan next month, showing ‘that there is a very strong case for expanding MPAs to 30% of our territorial waters’.
This network will form part of Jersey’s delivery of the ‘30 by 30’ initiative agreed at COP15 in December 2022 – a pledge made to conserve 30% of the globe’s terrestrial and marine habitat and protect it from destructive practices by 2030.
Deputy Renouf said: ‘When Deputy Farnham’s proposition was previously brought, there was no evidence base. We have to say why we think that’s a particularly important area to protect and communicate that.
‘We need to have that scientific evidence, otherwise we’re not going to make any headway in convincing our neighbours that it’s justified and have those constructive consultations.’
But he said he would ‘rather get it right than ram through a process that lacks credibility in order to meet a deadline’.
Mr Clover, who has been calling for a marine park for several years, congratulated the Environment Minister and government for their ‘commitment to ocean conservation’ and added: ‘A marine park will benchmark Jersey as a world leader in marine protection and set an example internationally of how ocean territories should be effectively managed for the good of all… The minister promised a marine park and extended Marine Protected Areas in his manifesto and today he has delivered on that promise. We salute him for delivering on that commitment. We quite understand that his plans will need to go through the usual consultations.’
He continued: ‘We are particularly delighted to see it confirmed by the Marine Spatial Plan review that the selected protected areas will achieve the highest conservation and economic benefit.
‘Many world leaders have committed publicly to protecting 30% of the world’s oceans by 2030, so it is very welcome news to hear of Deputy Renouf’s intentions for Jersey to make good on this promise and set an example to others. We expect this to have a galvanizing effect on other parties, not least around the UK coastline and elsewhere in the crown dependencies.’
Deputy Farnham also welcomed the proposals and said that ‘we need to move swiftly to protect our sea habitats’.
‘I would also expect there to be support for our local fishermen, who could be impacted by restrictions to fishing practices,’ he added.
Mr Thompson, who represents local fishermen, said there was an ‘assumption that the minister will ban certain methods of fishing’ which would ‘decimate’ the local fleet.
He added: ‘The minister is determined to get this through in a very rushed timescale and he hasn’t looked at all the unintended consequences.
‘We already look after our waters, and I would like for the minister to get on with good fisheries management and we will be doing everything we need to do to protect our waters.’
