In 2021, Manx Eelgrass Group, MWT staff and local scuba divers documented and mapped a new Eelgrass bed in Bulgham Bay which had been reported a few years previously. Eelgrass is a species of seagrass and is the only flowering plant to be found in Manx waters. It is a highly protected species in the Isle of Man because it forms a rare and vitally important habitat known as seagrass beds. Recognising that seagrass beds are an important ‘blue carbon’ and biodiversity resource, DEFA now propose to make this seagrass bed a fully protected Marine Nature Reserve (MNR) under the Wildlife Act 1990!
MWT have been working closely with our friends at DEFA in this regard and have also suggested to them that this would be a good opportunity to also protect other vital marine habitats in this area, including the saltmarsh at Cornaa and the kelp forest and intertidal habitats at Port Mooar.
The public consultation therefore seeks your views on the creation of a new MNR at Bulgham Bay alone (Option 1), or whether (as MWT recommended) it should extend northwards to include the saltmarsh at Cornaa (Option 2) or further north to include Port Mooar & Maughold Head (Option 3).
It will be no surprise to MWT members that we are supporting Option 3; however, we have gone further by recommending that Option 3 as proposed should be altered through an amendment to the existing Laxey Bay MNR rather than a wholly new MNR. Extending the existing MNR up to Maughold Head would connecting the existing Laxey Bay MNR to the Ramsey Bay MNR, ensuring that the entire coastal waters of Maughold are protected in a coherent, unbroken chain.
At the same time, based on the excellent collaborative work between MWT-coordinated Manx Eelgrass Group & Isle of Man Seasearch along with the DEFA-coordinated Blue Carbon Project, our Government are also proposing to:
- create a new Eelgrass Conservation Zone in Derbyhaven Bay (these are highly protected areas within a MNR, where additional byelaws prohibit anchoring and potting),
- expand the existing Eelgrass Conservation Zones in Laxey Bay MNR and Ramsey Bay MNR, reflecting that since their legal protection, the seagrass beds there have expanded considerably.
MWT are therefore writing to all our members and supporters to seek your help in advocating for these proposed expansions to Eelgrass Conservation Zones all around our Island, while also protecting coastal waters in Maughold from development, extraction, dumping and destructive fishing techniques. We are asking all MWT members to complete this consultation because:
- The coast from Laxey Head northwards to Maughold Head is the longest stetch of Manx coastal waters with no legal protection.
- The coast and coastal waters of Maughold are internationally recognised as being of global importance for nature. Specifically, this coastline is recognised as:
- An Important Marine Mammal Area for Grey Seal (haul outs and pupping sites), Harbour Porpoise and other cetaceans (IUCN Marine Mammal Task Force)
- An Important Bird and Biodiversity Area for breeding Chough, red-listed Shag and other declining seabirds (BirdLife International and RSBP)
- A Candidate Ramsar Wetland of International Importance for its diversity of habitats and species, both above and below the waves (UKOTCF & UK JNCC).
The consultation contains a lot of background information and could be quite daunting, however ultimately there are only seven simple questions regarding your thoughts on DEFA’s proposals. If you skip the background reading, the consultation can be completed in as little as 10 minutes but could take 30 minutes or more if you wish to read all of the detail. To help MWT members, we have supplied MWT’s responses in the pdf below, which you are free to copy, or otherwise use if you wish.
The Isle of Man has voluntarily signed up to the international, legally binding commitment to protect and manage, as a minimum, 30% of our land and seas for nature by 2030 (“30 by 30”).
We are falling far short of the mark in this regard. As of today, only 4.3% of our land and 10.8% of our waters are fully protected under the Wildlife Act. As a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, we simply cannot fail to meet this requirement. Protection of the Maughold coast is a significant opportunity to achieve our “30 by 30” requirement.
The warmer the reception of the Manx public is to these proposals, the more likely these enhanced protections will become a reality. Please do take the time to submit your views and please do forward this letter to your family, friends, neighbours and colleagues. Manx nature cannot speak up for itself; we must take up this responsibility.
Please note that submissions will close at midnight on Monday 28th April 2025. To complete the consultation please click here or search online for “Bulgham MNR consultation”. If you would like a paper version on the questionnaire, please contact fisheries@gov.im or telephone DEFA on 685835.
Thank you for giving Manx nature a voice! Gura mie eu!