C1Part 3Marine protection
Designation of MCZs
13Designation of marine conservation zones
1
The Department may by order designate any area of sea falling within the Northern Ireland inshore region as a marine conservation zone (an “MCZ”).
2
For the purposes of this Part “the Northern Ireland inshore region” and “the sea” do not include any waters upstream of the fresh-water limit of estuarial waters.
3
In this Part “estuarial waters” means any waters within the limits of transitional waters, within the meaning of the Water Framework Directive (that is to say, Directive 2000/60/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2000 establishing a framework for Community action in the field of water policy).
4
The reference in subsection (1) to an area of sea includes a reference to any island in the sea, whether or not any part of it lies above mean high water spring tide.
5
The Department may not designate any area of sea under this section without the agreement of the Secretary of State.
Pt. 3 applied (with modifications) by S.R. 1995/380, reg. 31(1)(2) (as substituted (18.9.2013) by Marine Act (Northern Ireland) 2013 (c. 10), ss. 40(5), 49 (with ss. 1(1), 46(3), 47))