Boating organisation says it will not support MCZ for popular boating area if anchoring is affected
The RYA said today it will not support the establishment of a Marine Conservation Zone (MCZ) in Studland Bay if it means anchoring will be banned in the area.
The statement comes in response to news that Finding Sanctuary, the body responsible for selecting sites for the new environmental designation in the South West, was considering making a huge area around Studland Bay an MCZ.
Were the area to gain MCZ status, it’s possible certain restrictions could be placed on boating activity in the area, including anchoring.
“The RYA is in the process of working through the list of areas currently being discussed by [Finding Sanctuary] and providing specific comments on any objections we may have from a recreational boating perspective,” the RYA said.
“Included within this commentary will be our position that Studland Bay is a key anchorage on the south coast and that we could not support the establishment of an MCZ in Studland Bay if it included a blanket ban on anchoring.”
You can download Finding Sanctuary’s latest Progress Report, which details the areas it has defined as MCZ ‘Building Blocks’. Final recommendations for MCZ sites will be put to ministers in June next year.
