The latest updates in the project to establish where Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs) will be located have been published.

But together the three reports, covering the south-east, the south-west and the North Sea, weigh in at an impenetrable 780 pages.

A fourth report on the Irish Sea has yet to be made available on the website of Irish Sea Conservation Zones.

The reports are the latest view of the work of the four regional stakeholder groups, who will recommend MCZ locations to the Government. They are the third batch of such reports.

Finding Sanctuary, the regional stakeholder group that represents the south-west, including Studland Bay, produced a 442-page report.

Tom Hooper, project manager for Finding Sanctuary, said: ‘Over the last year I have watched the south-west’s network of MCZs being developed and shaped by our regional stakeholder group members in a regular series of day-long planning meetings.

‘More work remains to be done over the next few months before we make our final submission to government, but this is the culmination of many days hard work by stakeholders which will result in a jointly and collaboratively developed outcome.’

These reports have now been submitted to an independent science advisory panel for comment, ahead of the next phase of shaping recommendations for MCZs.

Following a formal public consultation next spring, the government hope to designate new MCZs by the end of December 2012.

To view Net Gain’s report on the North Sea click here.

To view Balanced Sea’s report on the south-east click here.

To view Finding Sanctuary’s report click here.

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