Marine Reserves are unlike other methods of marine management because the whole ecosystem is protected, from spawning fish to deep sea corals. Any extractive use, such as oil drilling or fishing is prohibited as is any form of habitat destruction.

• The sites for Marine Reserves will be chosen to represent the full diversity of Britain’s marine habitats.
• Marine Reserves take the pressure off the fish stocks targeted by commercial fishing practices allowing these species to recover.
• There are significant economic benefits as fish populations spill over into surrounding waters.
• Sites are more simple to establish and enforce than current fishery measures.
• Reserves allow truly natural areas to exist which is useful for mankind to know what unimpaired nature is like.
• The amount of life in a reserve is typically 3 times that in similar unprotected waters.
• Climate change will create a more turbulent and unforgiving environment for marine organisms. Removing the stresses of human pressures increases the resilience and allows surrounding areas to be more quickly replenished.

Some examples…