Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs) are set to be created around the Welsh coast after the Welsh Assembly Government unveiled how it plans to use new powers to protect the seas.

Speaking at the Wales Biodiversity Partnership conference, environment minister Jane Davidson outlined how the new Marine and Coastal Access Bill will enable the assembly government to protect important habitats and species. The MCZs will be established as part of a new marine strategy - Protecting Welsh Seas, which will also set up the MCZ Project Wales in a bid to examine and recommend sites to be designated as one of the zones.

Davidson said: "Wales has a rich marine environment and people come from all over the world to enjoy our coast and waters. Protecting this environment is one of the biggest challenges we face. We want our seas to be clean, healthy and biologically diverse. "The UK has made an international commitment to create a coherent network of marine protected areas by 2012. Wales is already making a significant contribution to this goal through the number of existing protected sites that we have. These new powers to create Marine Conservation Zones will allow us to complete the journey."

Roger Thomas, chief executive of the Countryside Council for Wales, added: "We warmly welcome the Assembly Government's Strategy, which recognises the role of marine protected areas in safeguarding marine ecosystems. It provides real hope that this precious resource can become more resilient to pressures such as climate change and exploitation into the future."