Information on marine protected areas

Marine Protected Areas (MPA) are areas of ocean which have legal protection against fishing, development and restrictions on recreational use. MPAs are the key to ensuring our oceans are prepared to cope with climate change. Within MPAs wildlife and habitats would be protected from damaging activities. Allowing some areas to recover from human impacts will give marine wildlife the best chance of adapting to change.

On some of our sea safaris we take you to the beautiful Helford River, which is a Voluntary Marine Conservation Area. A voluntary organisation works to safeguard the diverse wildlife that inhabits the river and raises awareness of the importance of the biological diversity it holds.

Find out more:
Greenpeace have been campaigning for marine reserves for years and are calling for a 40% of the world's oceans to be protected.
The Marine Conservation Society have been campaigning for the protection of UK seas since they were set up 25 years ago. They argue that MPAs have been scientifically proven to increase marine biodiversity.
The Marine Reserves Campaign aims to ensure at least 30% of UK seas are protected by 2015 through the UK Marine and Coastal Access Bill.
UK Marine Protected Areas Centre is the main source of information and resources on MPAs.
We operate our Sea Safaris within the Fal and Helford Special Area of Conservation, where the habitats and wildlife are protected.