A new petition from an environmentalist group with branches in Cornwall shows "high public support" for Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs), they claim.

The 250,000-signature strong petition from The Wildlife Trusts, dubbed "Petition Fish", was presented to Environment Minister Richard Benyon this week.

Cornwall Wildlife Trust, which collected 4,000 signatures locally, now plans to meet with local MPs to push for the 13 MCZs recommended for waters off the Cornish coast.

A marine poll commissioned by the trusts also showed 92 per cent of 1,100 respondents were in favour protecting nature "in circumstances where sea life is threatened by commerical activity such as industrial fishing or dredging - even if this means putting restrictions on where commercial activities can take place."

MCZs were originally conceived to protect plants, animals and habitats from damaging activities, whilst mostly allowing so-called "sustainable activity" to continue.

However opponents have raised concerns that the zones would restrict recreational boating and damage the local economy.

The government’s current public consultation on MCZs closes on Sunday, March 31.

Cornwall Wildlife Trust is calling on the government to: 

• Designate all 31 of the proposed MCZs in 2013 and enforce appropriate management in these sites as soon as possible. In Cornwall, only five of the inshore 13 MCZs have been designated.

• Set a clear timetable for the rest of the network to be designated.

• Take into account the evidence collected last year "at a cost of £5m"

• Ban bottom-trawling and dredging protected areas.

Trust president Simon King said: "Whilst disappointed all 127 recommended Marine Conservation Zones are not immediately being designated, we are heartened to hear the government confirms it has every intention of designating 127 and more if necessary.

"We understand that resources don’t allow this to happen in the first year - nonetheless the pressure is on.

"Time is of the essence. With every passing week, month, year, we are at risk of losing more of this precious resource."

For more information, or to respond to the consultation, visit the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs' (Defra) website.