Written question WQ96828
- Asked by
- Paul DaviesConservative
- To be answered by
- Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs
- Tabled
- Due
- Answered
- Time to answer
- 8 days
Question
What is the Welsh Government doing to protect wildlife in the Celtic Sea?
Answer
Answered by Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs
Wales has a network of Marine Protected Areas (MPA’s) covering a total of 50% of Welsh waters and includes areas of the Celtic Sea. These MPAs provide protection for a variety of mobile species, marine habitats and seabirds.
Additional Marine Conservation Zones (MCZ) have been proposed as a part of the MPA Network Completion Programme. The ‘Areas of Search’ which outline the proposed locations for the MCZs can be viewed online (Overview of Areas of Search within Welsh waters) and include areas within the Celtic Sea.
The recently published Condition Assessments provide critical information to help us understand the health of our MPA’s. These assessments will provide the baseline for future management actions.