West of Walney is a Marine Conservation Zone in the Irish Sea west of Walney Island, England.It was designated in 2016 to protect subtidal mud and sand habitats:[1] at that time the MCZ was one of three off the coast of Cumbria, the others being Allonby Bay and Cumbria Coast.The area is 388km2, a similar size to the Isle of Wight off the south coast of England. The depth range of the site is 15–33 metres.
An unusual feature of the MCZ is that it is co-located with offshore wind turbines.[2] At the time of designation it was noted that it would be simpler to restrict fishing by bottom trawling because this type of fishing is generally discouraged within windfarm developments.In 2019 a bye-law prohibited bottom trawling from the majority of the site. Sustainable fishing for prawns using creels has been trialled.[3]
Fauna of interest include sea pens.
The waters west of Walney Island have some of the largest offshore wind farms in the world.
| Name | Number of Turbines | Capacity (MW) | Construction Began | Operation Began | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barrow Offshore Wind Farm[4] | 30 | 90 | 2004 | 2006 | |
| Ormonde Wind Farm[5] | 30 | 150 | 2010 | 2011 | |
| Walney Wind Farm 1 [6] [7] | 51 | 184 | 2010 | 2011 | |
| Walney Wind Farm 2 | 51 | 183.6 | 2011 | 2011 [8] | |
| West of Duddon Sands Wind Farm[9] | 108 | 389 | 2013 | 2014 | |
| Walney Extension Wind Farm[10] [11] | 108 | 660 | 2017 |