The River Medway Nursery Area (Prohibition of Fishing) Byelaw prohibits any fishing activity in an area of the Medway four times larger than the City of London. The no-take zone covers 12.1 square kilometres (4.6 square miles) of saltmarsh and mudflat environments that are vitally important to a wide variety of fish. Surveys undetaken by the Environment Agency over many years, show that the area is used by large numbers of juvenile fish, allowing them to shelter from predators and storms whilst supporting an abundance of prey for them to feed on.

HOW DOES THE MEDWAY NURSERY AREA HELP JUVENILE FISH?

Although saltmarshes may look inconspicuous, they perform a number of key biological, chemical and ecosystem functions as well as aid coastal protection. Saltmarshes can help maintain water quality by filtering the water before it ebbs to the sea, having important nitrogen, carbon and pollution storage functions.

Saltmarsh habitats support distinctive plant communities, and are important feeding, breeding and roosting grounds for birds. The value of saltmarsh habitats is now recognised internationally and nationally, with EU legislation to ensure that saltmarshes are protected and restored.

Unfortunately, key functions of saltmarsh ecosystems are now being compromised. It is estimated that two per cent of English saltmarshes are lost to the sea every year as a consequence of sea level rise. In addition to this, human encroachment into estuarine, intertidal and saltmarsh areas has created the phenomenon of coastal squeeze, where the seaward habitat is diminished through sea level rise, whilst sea defence structures, such as sea walls, are limiting compensatory inland encroachment.

The saltmarsh habitat is specifically important to juvenile fish. The complex habitat, with muddy channels and saltmarsh plants, provides areas for young fish to hide from predators. The cloudy, muddy water is also good for juvenile fish, as it offers more protection from visual predators. Fish populations tend to move onto the high intertidal and saltmarsh areas on flood tides and then return to deeper water on the ebb.

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