Alex Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2016-03-22.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what resources she plans to allocate to enforcing comprehensive management plans in current and future Marine Conservation Zones.

George Eustice

Under the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009, marine regulators are required to enforce, and ensure compliance with, any management measures put in place to protect Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs).

In December 2015, Defra confirmed it would continue to allocate £3 million New Burdens funding until 2020, which can be used for costs associated with MCZ designation including enforcement. In addition, allocations of funding to various activities are set out in an Action Plan for the Marine Management Organisation and the Annual Plans produced by the ten Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authorities (IFCAs).