Keep in touch with us
facebook
twitter
email

  • Home
  • What’s On?
  • Things To Do
    • Rockpooling in Looe
    • Visit Looe Island
    • Crabbing On Looe Quay
    • Birdwatching in Looe
    • Seal Spotting Around Looe
    • Snorkelling in Looe
    • Fishing in Looe
    • Eating Fish in Looe
  • Wildlife
    • Rocky Shore
    • Looe Island Nature Reserve
    • River Estuary
    • Eelgrass Beds
    • Open Oceans
    • Birds
    • Seals
  • Conservation
    • Looe Outer Harbour Proposal
    • Looe Voluntary Marine Conservation Area
    • Looe Marine Conservation Group
    • What We Do
    • Water Quality
  • Codes of Conduct
  • Galleries
  • Join Us
  • Blog
  • Contact


Looe Voluntary Marine Conservation Area

Looe VMCA area mapLooe Voluntary Marine Conservation Area (VMCA) was set up in 1995 and covers just under 5km of coastline stretching from the Hore Stone, west of Looe to the Limmicks in the East and extends down to the 10 metre depth line. The area includes the tidal reaches of both the West Looe and East Looe rivers. It also encompasses Looe Island, which is owned and managed as a reserve by the Cornwall Wildlife Trust.

The Looe VMCA is an amazingly diverse area. It includes rocky shores, mud flats, sand and gravel shores and seagrass beds. The area provides important habitats for a vast range of plants and animals including grey seals, wading birds, fish, crabs and a colourful array of seaweeds.

In addition to the important biodiversity of the area, the natural environment of the Looe VMCA is of great cultural and economic importance. The beauty and interest of the shore and the opportunity to see seals attract many tourists. The rocky reefs provide spawning grounds and hiding places for commercially important species such as the edible crab and various fish species. The statue of ‘Nelson’ the one-eyed seal who lived around Looe harbour for many years stands in testimony to the importance the town places on its connection with the marine environment.

The VMCA does not exist to place restrictions on how the area is used, but to encourage people from all walks of life to learn more about our marine environment and to help us learn more about it. We believe that by engaging the whole community, we can inspire people to work together to conserve this amazing environment for the benefit of current and future generations.

In 2013, most of the VMCA (excluding the estuary) became part of the larger Looe and Whitsand Bay Marine Conservation Zone. This official designation ensures that a much wider area of our very special environment receives protection.

What's On?

‘Coastal Conservation In A Changing World’ Talk by Dan Barrios-ONeill
Mar 15, 2025
'Fathoms Free' Talk with guest speaker John Kent and LMCG Monthly meeting with Events Calendar Launch
Jan 03, 2025
Love Your Beach Day - beach clean
‘Love Your Beach Day’ Beach Clean at Seaton
Jan 03, 2025
Rock pool ramble
February Half Term Rockpool Ramble
Jan 03, 2025
'What Lies Beneath' Talk guest speaker Tina Robinson, Our Only World + LMCG Monthly Meeting
Jan 03, 2025

Keep in touch

Facebook

Twitter

Contact Us

Recent Posts

‘Coastal Conservation In A Changing World’ Talk by Dan Barrios-ONeill
Mar 15, 2025
'Fathoms Free' Talk with guest speaker John Kent and LMCG Monthly meeting with Events Calendar Launch
Jan 03, 2025
Love Your Beach Day - beach clean
‘Love Your Beach Day’ Beach Clean at Seaton
Jan 03, 2025

Related Links

Cornwall Wildlife Trust
Cornwall Seal Group
Marine Conservation Society
Marine Biological Association
Shark Trust
Looe Tourist Information Centre
Looe Valley Railway Line
iLoveLooe - Local website
Coastguard
RNLI

For more links to useful information, visit our Related Links page.

What's On?

‘Coastal Conservation In A Changing World’ Talk by Dan Barrios-ONeill
Mar 15, 2025
'Fathoms Free' Talk with guest speaker John Kent and LMCG Monthly meeting with Events Calendar Launch
Jan 03, 2025
Love Your Beach Day - beach clean
‘Love Your Beach Day’ Beach Clean at Seaton
Jan 03, 2025

Content © copyright Looe Marine Conservation Group
WEB DESIGN CORNWALL