Formal Consultation - MMO management of anchoring activity impacts in Allonby Bay Highly Protected Marine Area

Closes 7 Apr 2025

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3. Allonby Bay Highly Protected Marine Area

MMO is consulting on a proposed byelaw which includes management measures for anchoring activity in Allonby Bay Highly Protected Marine Area (HPMA).

You can find the draft byelaw, associated impact assessment, and Allonby Bay HPMA marine non-licensable activity (mNLA) assessment, in the related information section on the overview page. The map of the management area for this site can be found below.

Allonby Bay HPMA Anchoring Byelaw

Proposed management

The proposed byelaw includes a whole site prohibition of anchoring activity throughout Allonby Bay HPMA.

The proposed byelaw also mandates that an anchor must be stowed when in the specified area.

Note, the provisions in section 141(1)(e) and (f) and section 141(2) of the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009 remain in force and are not amended by the proposed byelaw. These provide that anchoring can take place within the area prohibited by the proposed byelaw in the event that the act of anchoring:

  • 141(1)(e) was necessary for the purpose of securing the safety of any vessel, aircraft or marine installation;
  • 141(1)(f) was done for the purpose of saving life.

Please note that subsection (1)(e) does not apply where the necessity was due to the fault of the person or of some other person acting under the person's direction or control.

Related Information

The protected feature of Allonby Bay HPMA is the marine ecosystem of the area which means all marine flora and fauna, all marine habitats and all geological or geomorphological interests, including all abiotic elements and all supporting ecosystem functions and processes, in or on the sea bed, water column and the surface of the sea. 

For more information on marine non-licensable activities please see Managing marine non-licensable activities in marine protected areas - GOV.UK 

1. Do you have information about the level or nature of mNLA (including anchoring activity) within Allonby Bay HPMA?
2. Do you agree or disagree with the proposed management measures? Please provide reasons for or against.
3. How will the proposed management measures affect you? Please provide supporting evidence if possible.

Please provide evidence of this impact if possible.

4. What other effects could the proposed management measures have? Please provide supporting evidence if possible.

Please provide evidence of this impact if possible.

5. Further information

If you have further information and wish to upload this in a separate document, please do so here. Any feature evidence submitted will be passed to JNCC or Natural England for potential inclusion in MPA maps unless you indicate otherwise. Please note data submitted may not be included in updated maps. This will be dependent on the quality of the data submitted compared with that which is already present. For any data submitted please include sufficient details of the evidence collection including date, location, surveyor, methodology etc. Should you have concerns regarding how your data will be used, processed and protected please get in touch to complete a data provider agreement. conservation@marinemanagement.org.uk or call the MMO helpline on: 0300 123 1032. Please make sure your file is under 25MB

Please make sure your file is under 25MB