Independent report

Highly Protected Marine Areas review: terms of reference

Updated 17 August 2022

It is vital that we manage our seas in a more sustainable way for future generations. There has been significant progress with establishing an ecologically coherent network of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs).

The current approach to MPAs focuses on maintaining species and habitats at, or recovering them to, a favourable condition. This is a healthy state but not pristine, and so allows some sustainable activities to occur in MPAs. In Highly Protected Marine Areas (HPMAs), all human activities with the potential to damage are prohibited.

1. Purpose of the review

To recommend whether and how HPMAs could be introduced in areas of sea within the UK government’s competence.

2. Context

The review aims to deliver on the government’s ambition to leave nature in a better state than we found it. It also sits alongside, and must recognise, the government’s other objectives which involve the use of the sea. These include the:

• government’s ambitions for sustainable fisheries after the UK has left the EU, as outlined in the Fisheries White Paper
• potential for sustainable aquaculture to meet growing UK and global demand for seafood
• role that offshore renewables, interconnection, and new technologies such as carbon capture, usage and storage play in tackling climate change and helping us meet longer term decarbonisation goals
• government’s agenda to maximising economic recovery of UK petroleum (MER UK). This is of strategic importance to the UK Energy mix and to the economy
• contribution of the port and shipping sector to the UK economy

3. Outputs

Review Chair and Panel to develop evidence-based process and criteria for selecting HPMAs, including any recommendations on potential locations for a small number of potential pilot sites.

4. Objectives

1: Conduct an impartial and evidence-based assessment of the views of sea users and other relevant stakeholders on the environmental, social, and economic impacts of HPMAs.

HPMAs bring substantial benefits for conservation and biodiversity. Support for HPMA recommendations from sea-users will be important particularly from the fishing industry and from other sectors such as ports, shipping, aggregate offshore wind, interconnection, new technologies (such as carbon capture, usage and storage), and oil and gas developers. Sea-users will need to be consulted throughout the review, as well as government departments with an interest, and their views on any potential economic or other impacts reflected in its conclusions.

2: If supported by the evidence gathered, recommend a process for establishing HPMAs, criteria for the ongoing monitoring of their environmental and economic impact, and initial recommendations of up to five potentially suitable pilot sites.

The review will need to justify any recommendations for pilot sites on the basis of scientific evidence and robust economic impact assessments, including a sectoral breakdown for key marine industries affected. The review may wish to apply a natural capital approach to assess the potential economic and environmental costs and benefits of a HPMA, as compared to a typical MPA, at any given pilot site.

5. Geographic scope

Executive competence for marine conservation is devolved in Scotland and Wales, and in Northern Ireland in relation to the inshore zone. The review will consider the waters for which the Secretary of State has responsibility: the English inshore and offshore and Northern Ireland offshore zones.

6. Roles and responsibilities

The review chair will be responsible for overseeing the strategic direction and progress of the review. The review chair will report to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

The review chair and panel will be responsible for the development of the process and criteria for selecting recommended pilot sites for HPMAs.

Any subsequent consultation on the location and designation of HPMAs will be undertaken by Defra.

7. Timing

The review will start in June 2019, and will be due for completion by the end of 2019.

8. Governance

The review chair will be responsible for governance arrangements within the review, in consultation with the Director of Marine and Fisheries.