Boats will be banned on some British waters for the first time under new plans by Michael Gove to launch Highly Protected Marine Areas.

These are the strongest protections for areas of sea, and ban all human activity in some vulnerable ocean areas.

The Environment Minister has used World Ocean Day to launch a review into where the strict rules would be best implemented.

These areas would be alongsidethe existing network of Marine Conservation Zones, which just last week expanded by a further 41 areas, and allow vulnerable marine wildlife to fully recover, free from all damaging human activities, with the aim of restoring areas to a pristine state.

This policy would mark the most significant expansion of England’s ‘Blue Belt’ of protected areas to date.

The review, led by Richard Benyon MP, will take six months and consider the economic and social impacts on businesses and individuals who use the sea, taking into account the views of fishermen, conservation groups, marine industries, and local communities.

Environment Secretary Michael Gove said: “The UK is a global leader in the fight to protect our seas, but World Oceans Day is an important reminder that we need to safeguard the future prosperity and health of our ocean.