| Summary: | The northern waters of the Danish North Sea encompass a wide range of depths, reaching down to 480 m in the region of the Skagerrak. The area is home to a rich diversity of seabed habitats and associated species, including those that are priorities for marine conservation at EU and international levels. As a result, eight marine protected areas (MPAs) have been designated with the aim of protecting habitats such as reefs, bubbling reefs, and sandbanks, as well as harbour porpoise. However, the poor condition of protected habitats within these areas indicates that current protection is insufficient, and recent assessments of the Danish MPA network have revealed key gaps in coverage in the North Sea that must be addressed, particularly in offshore areas. On the basis of its findings, Oceana recommends the designation or enlargement of MPAs to safeguard these valuable features in specific areas, and the formal protection of priority features that occur within existing MPAs but which are not currently protected by those sites. Critically, given the intensity of human pressure in the Danish North Sea, designated MPAs must be effectively managed if they are to achieve their intended conservation aims.
|
|---|