Page review/updated 04/12/2024

(Content of page last updated: 27th June 2023)

Within the D&S IFCA’s District there are twenty-two designated Marine Protected Areas.  These comprise of ten European Marine Sites consisting of seven Special Areas of Conservation and three Special Protection Areas.  In total, across the three Tranches of designations, twelve MCZs have been designated within the D&S IFCA’s District. There are other MPAs such as SSSIs with marine components, which encompasses most of the estuaries in Devon, within D&S IFCA’s District. At Lundy Island there is the first No Take Zone in England and also it was designated as the first MCZ in 2013.

SPECIAL AREAS OF CONSERVATION (SACS)

• Severn Estuary SAC (cross boundary with Welsh Government)
• Plymouth Sound & Estuaries SAC (cross boundary with Cornwall IFCA)
• Start Point to Plymouth Sound & Eddystone SAC (cross boundary with Cornwall IFCA)
• Lyme Bay & Torbay SAC (cross boundary with Southern IFCA)
• Lundy SAC
• Braunton Burrows SAC
• Bristol Channel Approaches SCI

SPECIAL PROTECTION AREAS (SPAS)

• Severn Estuary SPA (cross boundary with Welsh Government)
• Tamar Estuaries Complex SPA (cross boundary with Cornwall IFCA)
• Exe Estuary SPA

MARINE CONSERVATION ZONES (MCZS)

• Lundy MCZ
• Skerries Bank & Surrounds MCZ
• Torbay MCZ
• Tamar MCZ (cross boundary with Cornwall IFCA)
• Hartland Point to Tintagel MCS (cross boundary with Cornwall IFCA)
• Bideford Bay to Foreland Point MCZ
• Morte Platform MCZ
• Erme Estuary MCZ
• Avon Estuary MCZ
• Dart Estuary MCZ
• Otter Estuary MCZ
• Axe Estuary MCZ

Some of the D&S IFCA coastline is also designated as RAMSAR sites, National Nature Reserves (NNR), and most of the estuaries within the District are designated as Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs).