Eight Cornish marine sites, from ones right on the coast to others miles offshore, could get a special protected status by 2019, but only if the public gets behind them now, say campaigners. 

The Marine Conservation Society (MCS) says the third and final round of proposed Marine Conservation Zone designations, currently the subject of a public consultation, could result in 40% of English seas being protected.

The public consultation is open until July 20 and MCS wants as many people as possible to support the proposals.   

Dr Jean-Luc Solandt of the MCS said: ‘The public has less than a month to take part in a consultation that could mean more protection for English waters.

‘While marine protection isn’t as simple to understand as the damage plastic is doing to our oceans, it’s equally as important. These sites are home to some of our most familiar and also threatened marine wildlife - from oysters to dolphins - and need your support.’ 

‘The public have been brilliant in turning the tide on plastic with millions giving up their addiction to single use items. Now we need them to get behind this final push to protect English seas.’

Fifty Marine Conservation Zones already exist around the English coastline, having been designated in 2013 and 2016. 41 proposed Marine Conservation Zones in English waters were put forward for public consultation by the Government on June 8. If the Government doesn’t hear that there is strong public support they may not designate all of the sites. 

The charity is calling on people in Cornwall to get behind the eight proposed sites around the county’s coastline - the Camel Estuary, Cape Bank 

off the north Cornwall coast, an offshore area North East of Haig Fras, the South West approaches to Bristol, the Helford Estuary and offshore areas south of Celtic Deep, south of the Isles of Scilly and the South West Deeps 190km southwest of Land’s End.