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You are here > Visitor Info > More Information > Plymouth to have Britain’s first National Marine Park

Plymouth to have Britain’s first National Marine Park

16th September 2019

Categories: Visitor News

This weekend Plymouth celebrated the news that Plymouth Sound will be home to the first National Marine Park in the country.

Plymouth Sound is home to hundreds of species of fish and other marine life and campaigners have long been trying to protect this stretch of water to encourage conservation of these species, many of which are rarely seen elsewhere. The idea of a National Marine Park is similar to that of a National Park, like that at Dartmoor and Exmoor, meaning that the Sound will be a protected area of the ocean, aiming to conserve and promote wildlife and research while keeping the city’s fishing and maritime industry.

A celebration was held on Saturday, 14^th September to commemorate the decision to make the Sound into the first National Marine Park for Britain, with hopes that it will create a template for others across the UK. The park’s creation has been welcomed by the scientific community in Plymouth as well as residents and the Environment Secretary, Theresa Villiers. The city-wide party included live music and entertainment as well as the chance for residents to get involved with how the park is to be set up and maintained.

The idea was put forward by Lewis Pugh, who is from Plymouth, and is the UN Patron of the Oceans. He told reporters: “It is my hope that in the future, people will look back at Plymouth as the ocean innovator that set the standard for National Marine Parks in Britain and across the globe. The future of our planet will be determined by what happens in our oceans. I have always been proud to have been born in the greatest of maritime cities and today, I am particularly proud to see Plymouth leading the charge on ocean protection with this important National Marine Park initiative.”

Campaigners and city officials will now work with central government to put in place a time table for the creation and maintenance of the National Marine Park.