Laxey Bay ( gv, Baie Laksaa) is a coastal feature and

Marine Nature Reserve Marine nature reserve (MNR) is a conservation designation officially awarded by a government to a marine reserve of national significance. Republic of Ireland Lough Hyne, a marine lake off of County Cork, is Ireland's only marine nature reserve. Un ...

on the east coast of the

Isle of Man ) , anthem = " O Land of Our Birth" , image = Isle of Man by Sentinel-2.jpg , image_map = Europe-Isle_of_Man.svg , mapsize = , map_alt = Location of the Isle of Man in Europe , map_caption = Location of the Isle of Man (green) in Europ ...

in the north

Irish Sea The Irish Sea or , gv, Y Keayn Yernagh, sco, Erse Sie, gd, Muir Èireann , Ulster-Scots: ''Airish Sea'', cy, Môr Iwerddon . is an extensive body of water that separates the islands of Ireland and Great Britain. It is linked to the C ...

. Geographically it is bounded by Laxey Head ( gv, Kione Laksaa) to the north and Clay Head ( gv, Kione ny Cleigh) to the south.

Marine nature reserves

Laxey Bay was first protected as a "Fisheries Restricted Area" in 2009 to facilitate king scallop ranching, whereby the areas could be seeded with scallops, protected from fishing and then harvested at a later date. The bay was seeded with young scallops, however subsequent surveys indicated that densities remained very low (among the lowest of sites surveyed in Manx waters), likely owing to limited good scallop habitat within the bay. A

Bangor University , former_names = University College of North Wales (1884–1996) University of Wales, Bangor (1996–2007) , image = File:Arms_of_Bangor_University.svg , image_size = 250px , caption = Arms ...

survey in 2016 surveyed the habitats within the bay. On the basis of the presence of habitats of conservation importance, including maerl and eelgrass (''

Zostera marina ''Zostera marina'' is a flowering vascular plant species as one of many kinds of seagrass, with this species known primarily by the English name of eelgrass with seawrack much less used, and refers to the plant after breaking loose from the submer ...

''), the survey recommended that they bay remain closed to mobile fishing in the long term. The Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture thereafter consulted the public and stakeholders on making the bay a

Tynwald Tynwald ( gv, Tinvaal), or more formally, the High Court of Tynwald ( gv, Ard-whaiyl Tinvaal) or Tynwald Court, is the legislature of the Isle of Man. It consists of two chambers, known as the branches of Tynwald: the directly elected House of ...

granted Laxey Bay full statutory protection as a Marine Nature Reserve (MNR) under the Wildlife Act 1990 from 1 September 2018. It is now one of ten Marine Nature Reserves found around the Isle of Man, covering over 10% of the country's territorial waters. The reserve lies west of a line drawn between two points at the following co-ordinates: Carrick Roayrt by Bulgham Bay (54° 14.3742’ N, 04° 21.9420’ W) and Kione ny Cleigh / Clay Head (54° 11.8044’ N, 04° 23.2338’ W), up to and including the shore to the level of the Highest Astronomical Tide. The reserve encompasses an area of 3.97 km² which equates to 0.48% of the Island’s territorial seas in the 0-3 nautical mile zone. Laxey Bay MNR also includes a highly protected Eelgrass Conservation Zone within Garwick Bay. The reserve is managed by the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture in collaboration with its fisheries science advisors and other stakeholders including the fishing industry and recreational users. The Manx Marine Nature Reserves Byelaws 2018 prohibit the

extraction of sand Sand mining is the extraction of sand, mainly through an open pit (or sand pit) but sometimes mined from beaches and inland dunes or dredged from ocean and river beds. Sand is often used in manufacturing, for example as an abrasive or in concr ...

, gravel or rock, the deposition of any substance or articles, the use of mobile fishing gear (dredges and trawls) and long lines and the taking of either queen or king scallops whilst diving. Within the Eelgrass Conservation Zone even anchoring and the use of static fishing gear (pots) is prohibited to protect

eelgrass Eelgrass is a common name for several plants and may refer to: * ''Zostera'', marine eelgrass * ''Vallisneria'', freshwater eelgrass {{Short pages monitor