Jersey Nearly Triples Protected Waters, Banning Trawling and Dredging Across 21.7% of Territorial Sea

The Government of Jersey announced on August 28, 2026 that a major expansion of its Marine Protected Area network takes effect Tuesday, September 1, 2026, raising the share of territorial waters closed to trawling and dredging from 6.5% to 21.7%. The expansion, the first phase of Jersey's Marine Spatial Plan delivered after three years of consultation with fishing representatives and environmental groups, protects structurally complex seabed habitats — including shallow reefs, maerl beds, seagrass meadows, and kelp forests — that serve as nursery and feeding grounds for commercially and ecologically important marine life. A second, smaller phase of protections is scheduled for January 2030. 'Jersey's seas are one of the Island's greatest natural assets,' said Environment Minister Mary Le Hegerat, while Head of Marine Resources Francis Binney said 'a healthy marine environment and a successful fishing industry go hand in hand,' framing the move as balancing conservation with the island's fishing fleet rather than trading one off against the other.