THREE marine habitats in North and East Yorkshire have been included on a Government list which may lead to them being given added protection.

Defra has confirmed 37 recommended Marine Conservation Zones will be put forward for public consultation next year, with the sites including Runswick Bay near Whitby, Compass Rose – which is 30km off the Yorkshire coast and provides spawning and nursery grounds for fish – and the Holderness Inshore which stretches from Skipsea to Spurn Point.

The announcement has been welcomed by Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, which says the zones are vital to safeguarding and restoring the marine environment.

North Sea Living Seas manager Kirsten Carter said: “The North Sea has a wealth of marine habitats which provide year-round homes to all kinds of marine species.

“I am delighted these Yorkshire zones will be included in the second public consultation in 2015.”

John Edwards, the Wildlife Trusts’ head of Living Seas, said there was “huge public support for greater protection of our seas following decades of neglect and decline.”