The announcement was made earlier this week by Defra, who explained that just three, rather than five, pilot sites are being designated in this round of Highly Protected Marine Areas (HPMAs).

While we’re disappointed that we won’t see all five pilot sites, as recommend in the Benyon Review in 2022, we welcome the three designated sites. (The other two are at Dolphin Head off Sussex and North-East of Farnes Deep off Northumberland.) These three sites are the first of their kind and will hopefully open the door for future designations, creating a network of HPMAs throughout all English Seas. Read more about the Wildlife Trusts’ response in this blog.  

Georgia de Jong Cleyndert, Head of Marine at Cumbria Wildlife Trust said: “Allonby Bay is a really important site for a number of species and habitats, including honeycomb worm reefs and blue mussels. It is an important spawning and nursery ground for commercially-important fish species, such as bass and thornback rays, and there is anecdotal evidence that the area is a potential pupping ground for harbour porpoise, with mothers and young calves frequently seen in the area.

"This site is an important area for seabirds in the Irish Sea, providing a foraging ground to a wide range of species, including common guillemot, gannet, Manx shearwater, razorbill and puffin. Many of these birds are coastal species that breed locally or regionally and they do not forage great distances, so areas such as Allonby Bay provide vital feeding grounds."

Georgia explained: “The HPMA designation will mean that no extractive, destructive or depositional activities can take place – it offers the strictest possible environmental protections. Only non-damaging activities, such as swimming, kayaking and scuba diving, will be allowed. There can be no fishing, construction or digging in the protected area, meaning that that these areas give nature the best chance of recovery." 

Although the boundaries of the site are not yet known, there will be zones where local anglers will still be able to fish from the beach at Allonby Bay without causing damage to the reefs, and the HPMA status will not affect the operation of the harbour at nearby Maryport. 

Georgia said: “We welcome this designation for Allonby Bay, and see it as one step in the right direction but we look forward to more designations, in order to protect our marine environment which is under significant and increasing pressure.”

We'd like to thank Cumbria Wildlife Trust members and all those who have responded in large numbers to Government consultations in recent years about this designation and also Marine Conservation Zones.