Rare and valuable marine animals and plants will be offered special protection from disturbance within five years, under plans outlined today.

Measures to conserve habitats and individual species have been proposed within the draft Marine Bill published by the government.

Marine reserves will offer a mixture of protection levels with the strictest intended to ban all types of fishing and development within an area.

The draft bill, which the government has pledged to supersede with a full bill and act, included plans to make it easier to get authorisation to build wind farms, tidal energy schemes and other major industrial developments in the United Kingdom’s seas. It is also intended to ensure a right of way round the whole of England’s coast.

Wildlife groups that have been campaigning for 15 years for the creation of protected zones in Britain’s seas gave the draft bill a muted welcome.

While relieved the government has taken a step towards protecting sea life they were concerned that the measures were too weak to significantly reverse the destruction wreaked on sea life over centuries.

Simon Brockington, of the Marine Conservation Society, was concerned the draft bill was designed as an enabling measure rather than making the creation of protected zones compulsory.

Hilary Benn, the environment secretary, was, however, bullish about the potential of the draft bill and said action to conserve marine life was an obligation. “We have a duty to look after our seas for future generations,” he said.

“Our seas are already showing the effects of climate change and with increasing use of the sea by many competing interests we must make sure that the marine environment can cope with changing conditions.

“Our proposals will raise protection and management of our seas to a new level, halting the decline in biodiversity to create clean, healthy, safe, productive and biologically diverse oceans and seas.”

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