Living seas - Marine Conservation

underwater scene - thongweed snakelocks - copyright Paul Naylor

Underwater scene in the Irish Sea of Thongweed and Snakelocks © Paul Naylor

Protecting wildlife in and around the Irish sea

How we help nature's recovery in the Irish sea

Cumbria Wildlife Trust works in partnership with The North West Wildlife Trusts which has helped to secure the Marine and Coastal Access Act.

Our seas have a remarkable capacity to recover, but only if we give them the chance. Decades of neglect have left our seas damaged and degraded, but it's not too late to save them. Scroll to find out more.

 

Urchin and brittlestars credit Dan Bolt

Urchin and brittlestars © Dan Bolt

Protecting our seas

Highly Protected Marine Areas (HPMAs)

Highly Protected Marine Areas (HPMAs) are a type of Marine Protected Area (MPA) which offer the strictest possible environmental protections.

More about Highly Protected Marine Areas (HPMAs)
Choppy waves in the sea

Chris Gomersall/2020VISION

Restricting damaging activities

Marine Protected Areas

Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are places at sea where certain damaging activities are restricted.

In England and non-devolved waters they're called Marine Conservation Zones.

More about Marine Protected Areas & Marine Conservation Zones
Lemon sole copyright Amy Lewis

© Amy Lewis

Marine policy

Marine Advocacy Programme

Since 2010, The North West Wildlife Trusts have been working to protect the Irish Sea.

The Irish Sea Marine Advocacy Programme aims to influence the designation and appropriate management of Marine Protected Areas in order to restore the Irish Sea to The Wildlife Trusts’ vision for Living Seas.

More on Marine policy
My Local Catch cover image

My Local Catch

Marine awareness

My Local Catch

My Local Catch is a marine awareness project which aims to raise awareness of the benefits of locally and sustainably-sourced seafood in the recovery of our seas.

More about My Local Catch
A fisherman creel fishing

Tony Roxburgh/2020VISION

Marine conservation

Cumbrian creel project

The Cumbrian creel project is an innovative project working with local fishermen to diversify away from destructive bottom-towed trawling to more sustainable methods.

More about the Cumbrian creel project

A short film " What should a Marine Protected Area look like?"  by Thomas Daguerre and Andrew Ball.

Training in the field

Marine Futures Internship

The Marine Futures North West Internship programme offers a unique opportunity for candidates interested in a career in the marine environment.

Gain skills, knowledge and experience across a variety of marine sectors; helping to inform and shape future career opportunities.

Find out more
Marine interns carryout a sealife survey
Impact report

Marine Futures North West Internship Programme 2019-2021

We have worked with partners The Crown Estate, Ørsted and Natural England to provide people interested in a career in the marine environment with a unique opportunity to gain insights and experience across a range of organisations working in the marine sector, with a particular focus on conservation and renewable energy.

Read our Impact Report (PDF)

Our vision is that wildlife thrives, from the depths of the ocean to the coastal shallows. 

Hidden beneath the surface are landscapes every bit as varied as those we see on land. Undersea cliffs, caves, valleys and mountains are home to thousands of plants & animals, from tiny anemones to the majestic basking shark. 

Watch our short video clip to discover what marine life lives in the Irish sea:

Discover what is in the Irish sea by watching our short video clip.

Support our marine conservation work

Help marine life to survive & thrive across the North West and throughout the Irish Sea.
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