CUMBRIA Wildlife Trust is set to receive a major funding boost for the protection of wildlife and habitats in the Irish Sea.

£300,000 has been awarded to the North West Wildlife Trusts (Cumbria, Lancashire and Cheshire) across five years by the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, one of the largest independent grant-makers in the UK.

During the last 10 years, the trusts campaigned for the creation of appropriately-managed Marine Conservation Zones in the Irish Sea to help protect "nationally important, rare or threatened habitats and species."

A Cumbria Wildlife Trust spokeswoman said: "The trusts have worked closely with regulators and other stakeholders to ensure that these areas do not become ‘paper parks’ – instead ensuring that the conservation areas are appropriately managed to benefit diverse communities of marine life and healthy habitats, as well as blue carbon stocks and productive fisheries."

Emily Baxter, senior marine conservation officer for the North West Wildlife Trusts, said: "(The grant) means that we can continue and expand our work towards protecting the Irish Sea over the next five years.

"It will build our capacity to lobby on important issues such as Marine Protected Areas and sustainable fisheries. It will also support collaborative working with other wildlife trusts and external bodies in the six countries around the Irish Sea."

She added it would allow the trusts to "work across administrative boundaries" and "build up a complete picture of the state of the Irish Sea as a single ecological area."

Jenny Dadd, grants manager for the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, said: "This project will help environmental charities, state agencies and other stakeholders to collaborate more effectively on marine issues across the Irish Sea."