Jersey Marine Park

The UK dependency of Jersey, off the north-west coast of France, controls 2,455 sq. km of territorial sea. The island’s unique marine ecology supports more than 3,000 animal and plant species, in habitats ranging from kelp forests, seagrass and maerl beds to gravel and sand beds. The area is home to some of the most diverse clam beds in Northern Europe, and to huge 12-metre tides that create 30 sq. km of inter-tidal area at each low ebb. This rocky zone and its outlying reefs contain flooded gully and waterfall habitats found nowhere else in the region. Jersey’s waters are also rich in sites of cultural, archaeological and historical significance.  

However, more than 93 per cent of Jersey’s seabed is unprotected, with only 6.5 per cent designated as marine protected areas (MPAs). In 2022, the island’s government began to develop a Jersey Marine Spatial Plan (JMSP), and, in October 2023, it announced a proposal to create a Marine Park by expanding the MPAs to cover 30 per cent of territorial waters.

Our work in the Channel Islands stemmed from Jersey, where our mission has been to establish a network of MPAs, covering at least 30 per cent of its waters. Our strategy has consisted of three main strands; 1) collaborative research, such as biodiversity assessments and ecosystem service valuations, 2) education through a schools snorkeling initiative and classroom lessons, and 3) support of low-impact fisheries such as developing a brand and eco-label to promote hand-dived scallops. 

After 10 months of consultation, scrutiny and lobbying, in October 2024 Jersey’s States Assembly unanimously approved the Marine Spatial Plan (MSP) – which we have been advocating since 2018. Its proposed network of marine protected areas (MPAs) will cover 552 sq km (23 per cent) of Jersey’s waters and will be closed to dredging and trawling, allowing small-scale fishing to thrive with the environment. 

From 2021, our local team of two has been based on the island, engaging with the fishing industry, educating local communities and children, partnering with government and local organisations, and leading local research to help inform better management. Our ‘snorkel trail’ and low-impact seafood initiatives have also helped to strengthen the sustainable use of Jersey’s seas. 

Fishing is a core part of Jersey’s heritage, and many key commercial species rely on healthy habitats to feed, breed and thrive. The proposed Marine Park will protect habitats, improve biodiversity and help to secure the long-term health of commercial fishery species.    

Low-impact fisheries such as potting, rod and line, netting and scallop diving will benefit from having safe spaces to operate. Marine Park status could also draw in tourism while providing branding opportunities for local sustainable seafoods. Perhaps most importantly, the protection of these habitats can also help to mitigate climate change 

Promoting appreciation for MPAs, Blue Marine’s snorkelling education programme on Jersey has now reached 840 children in three years, who represent more than 80 per cent of the island’s 31 primary-schools. We delivered a classroom lesson to a further 300 pupils during the academic year, with an art project to help explain the MSP and give them a voice for marine protection. Blue Education also launched ‘Jersey Ocean Observatory’, an online portal to the underwater world that provides resources for teachers and parents to lower barriers to marine science. 

To learn more about our Jersey Snorkel Trails, click here.