An independent survey has been commissioned to gauge the level of support amongst islanders for protecting Jersey's waters and creating a marine park.

It has been commissioned by the Blue Marine Foundation and the National Trust for Jersey.

Dredging and bottom-trawling have been banned in the likes of Les Minquiers and Les Ecrehous.

93% of Jersey's waters are still unprotected, though.

"Jersey has made some positive steps towards becoming a gold standard for marine protection in Europe.

Now is the time to hear from the people of Jersey to understand support for the proposals for wider marine protection in Jersey." - Charles Clover, executive director of the Blue Marine Foundation.

The 4Insight poll will ask:

• Whether people agree that Jersey's increased control over its own waters is to the island's benefit
• What degree they are in favour of increasing the level of protection within 'high-value' marine habitats
• Whether a Marine Park in 30% of Jersey's waters should be set up

"The Crown gifted the seabed to the people of Jersey in 2015 and so in effect we have all become its custodians.

This poll will be crucial in giving information and direction to our States Assembly as to how we wish to see our wonderful marine environment managed both now and in the future." - Charles Alluto, CEO for the National Trust for Jersey.

Senator Lyndon Farnham has lodged an amendment to the Bridging Island Plan to ask for a marine park to be created.

He's called it a once-in-a-generation opportunity for Jersey to show leadership and rebrand the island as one of the world's most accessible eco-tourism destinations.

Independent planning inspectors reviewing the draft plan said they agreed with the Environment Minister that designating a Marine Protected Area would be premature.

"To be effective against destructive fishing practices, which are not development controllable through planning legislation, such a proposal would have to involve agreement of a number of stakeholders and would potentially involve renegotiation of International Agreement(s) or Treaties.

All development at sea requires an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Policy NE1 – Protection and improvement of biodiversity and geodiversity, already provides for the protection of biodiversity, applicable up to and beyond the timescale for the adoption of the MSP (Marine Spatial Plan).

At the present time, the Minister’s proposal to deal with the marine environment comprehensively with full consultation as part of the MSP seems
prudent."

Scientists have previously reported a positive recovery in Jersey's marine protected areas, with BLUE calling for more MPAs to be created.

University of Plymouth researcher Sam Blampied told Channel 103 in 2020 that a properly protected Marine Park would do wonders for the environment.

The survey can be filled out here or by scanning the QR code below on a smartphone.