Over the last 12 years the government has been slowly designating a series of Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs) to add to the network of protected areas around the UK coast. These were selected after taking advice from Natural England and considering submissions for a variety of stakeholders and conservation organisations (including angling groups and the Angling Trust). These zones are established under the Marine and Coastal Access Act (2009) and are areas designated with the aim to protect nationally important, rare or threatened habitats and species and some unique geological features.
The idea is the network of Marine Conservation Zones are nationally important
