MINISTERS today confirmed they were banning "damaging" types of fishing in 60 square nautical miles of sea off the South West coast of England to protect threatened sea life, despite bitter opposition from fishermen. Seafish today also voiced concern over the move.

About 10% of Lyme Bay from West Bay to Beer Head will be permanently closed to scallop dredgers and bottom trawlers, which drag nets along the seabed, to safeguard the area's rich marine life and habitats.

Lyme Bay is home to world-renowned reefs as well as important species including pink sea fans, sunset cup corals and several rare sponges.  After public consultation and a full assessment of the impacts, the government has ordered that the area be closed from early July.

Fishing using nets nearer the surface or static nets and lines will still be allowed, as will diving for scallops, scuba diving and sea angling.

Environment Secretary Hilary Benn said: "Lyme Bay is one of Britain's richest marine environments, and the measures we have announced today will protect the reefs and the wildlife that depends on them from the most damaging fishing methods.

"The environmental benefits will be huge, and species under threat will be able to recover and thrive."

Marine and fisheries minister, Jonathan Shaw added: "A lot of work has gone into assessing the impacts, and this is just the kind of major decision about managing and protecting our seas that the government's Marine Bill will help us take in future.

"The decision to protect Lyme Bay's wildlife shows that we are committed to protecting the marine environment. I want to work with people all around our coast to establish a national network of marine conservation zones to help protect the richness and diversity of life in our seas."

But Seafish voiced disappointment with the government's decision to close the Lyme Bay fishing area.

It said that fishermen in Lyme Bay have demonstrated for the last two years their willingness and enthusiasm to undertake their activities in a responsible manner that safe-guards marine biodiversity.

But as a result of the government's decision, both trawl and scallop dredge fisheries will be prohibited from traditional fishing grounds in Lyme Bay.

A number of marine experts, including Professor Mike Kaiser (University of Wales, Bangor) Chair of Defra's Marine Stakeholder Forum and the Government's own scientific advisors Cefas, have stated that a restricted fishery, rather than an outright ban, was compatible with the bay's marine conservation interest, they added.

Dr Jon Harman, development director at Seafish, said: "The South-west coastal fishing industry, particularly the boats that tow fishing nets and dredges to catch flatfish, cod and scallops, have made strenuous efforts over recent years to respect the environmental priorities of Lyme Bay.

"They have endeavoured to protect key habitats and species by voluntarily closing existing fishing grounds, developing codes of conduct that include non-compliance reporting, and establishing a memorandum of understanding with Natural England to improve communication, information exchange and collaborative working."

Professor Mike Kaiser, chair of Defra's Marine Stakeholder Forum, added: "International authorities on wildlife conservation, such as the World Commission on Protected Areas, have recognised that the success of Marine Protected Areas relies on stakeholder support for compliance, data gathering and collaboration."

Dr Harman continued: "We believe that the closure of inshore fishing grounds using the precautionary principle at the extreme lacks good evidence.

"Furthermore, the refusal to recognise the value of voluntary and well-supported industry measures to protect areas of the seabed not only jeopardises future industry engagement in local marine conservation initiatives, but also contradicts the direction in which fisheries governance is going, which is to encourage fishermen to become environmental stewards or ‘custodians of the sea."

South West Inshore Fishermen's Association members have reacted with a mix of "hostility, anger, sadness and frustration" that the deal they brokered with Ben Bradshaw in 2006 has been swept aside, along with their livelihoods, for the sake of the Minister's "green" credentials.

Association Chairman Nick Prust said: "I feel a deep sadness that inshore fishermen can be discarded so easily for no good reason. They are the rare species in this situation. We brokered a ground-breaking deal with Ben Bradshaw that has been cited as a model for marine protection. Closing this massive area to mobile fishing gear will leave it open to be inundated by pots for whelks, crabs and lobsters, nets for fin-fish, angling and diving boats. Soon, I am sure, there will not be a living thing because towed gear we know aids release of nutrients into the water to provide feed. Jonathan Shaw will rue the day he made this decision, but he'll win the green vote and it seems that all that matters to him."

Secretary of the association, Jim Portus said, "The Minister has squandered an opportunity for a zonal solution to deliver the bio-security of the Lyme Bay Reefs. He has decided, instead, to squash the industry out of the eco-system. What he has done is neither proportionate nor appropriate and it certainly takes no account of the social and economic consequences of his actions.

"Since 2001, the industry has been working hand-in-glove in Lyme Bay with environmentalist groups to provide them with better understanding of what lies on the seabed. Those fishermen now feel betrayed and it will be years if ever, before the hand of co-operation is extended again.

"I am certain that we will seek legal advice and the help of any MP who will support the industry during the 3-week period the Statutory Instrument must 'lie' in Parliament."

The Marine Conservation Society (MCS). meanwhile, has welcomed the measures.

In a statement, it said: "A considerable effort has been made by the Marine Conservation Society, Natural England, Seasearch divers, marine scientists and, particularly, Devon Wildlife Trust to demonstrate that damage is being done to the area - one of the UK's richest marine wildlife sites.

"The Government has finally taken heed of our advice to close off about 10% of the bay to trawl and scallop fisheries.

"The reefs, which will be protected, are underwater extensions of the rocks which form the Lyme Bay Jurassic Coast - an area that has been recognised as a World Heritage Site.

"The underwater reefs support marine wildlife including soft corals, sponges and many rare and vulnerable species.

"Fishing for scallops using heavy towed metal dredges is an especially destructive form of fishing.

"In some places, the seafloor has been so badly damaged that the reefs which used to stand high above the seabed, are now worn level with the seafloor.

"The marine wildlife will take many years to recover.

"The Lyme Bay case also demonstrates that a more concerted effort is needed to reconcile differences between some fishermen and conservationists, and to better plan a network of Marine Conservation Zones for the whole of the southwest.

"MCS supports the Finding Sanctuary project, which is tasked by government to present a network of sites by 2012 to government, which will be implemented through the pending marine bill."

Dr Jean-Luc Solandt of the Marine Conservation Society added: "In the end, most fishermen and conservationists want the same thing - sustainable fishing which has limited impact on the marine environment.

"The only way achieve this is to manage areas of sea appropriate to the vulnerability of the habitat, and to leave some areas completely alone to entirely recover from man's impact."

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