OO. 3.2 Establish and maintain marine protected areas in the North Sea that contribute to a coherent transboundary network of marine protected areas

The North Sea is a sensitive ecosystem that is under a great deal of pressure from intensive human activities such as fishing, sand and gravel extraction, shipping, oil and gas extraction, tourism and industry. Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are an important means of safeguarding the ocean's rich diversity of life. They may support local economies by providing a refuge from fishing pressure for commercial fish stocks. If properly located, MPAs may act as refuge habitats and lead to reduction in fishing mortality and bycatch.

Recent national efforts in the establishment of ecologically significant MPAs in the Belgian marine zone will be continued. These must be backed up by rigorous management plans, fully integrated in their global socio-economic context (if possible into an ICZM strategy and pollution control schemes) and accepted by all the parties concerned. Such management plans, among other things, should allow for the transition from overfishing to recovery and from there on to long-term sustainable fishing.