Conservationists are campaigning for the coastline between Brighton and Newhaven to get legal protection.

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) has named the site as one of 71 across the UK which is important for breeding seabirds and requires protection, in its report Safeguarding our Seabirds: Marine Protected Areas for the UK's Seabirds.

The extent of marine sites around the UK which are fully protected is one square mile in every 100,000 and the RSPB described the existing level of protection as "like a tea bag floating on the surface of an Olympic-sized swimming pool".

The charity said seabirds could benefit from marine-protected areas, which could be established under the Marine Bill, a draft of which is due to be published soon by the Government, and could tackle problems such as overfishing, offshore industry and pollution.

The RSPB has urged the Government to commit to providing resources to survey and identify a network of marine areas with national importance to the UK.

Grahame Madge, spokesman for the RSPB, also highlighted the irony that under current law, the land where seabird colonies nest are protected but their offshore feeding areas are not and, as a result, their breeding levels can be threatened.

He said: "The site between Brighton and Newhaven is very important for wildlife because lot of species in the English Channel reach their northern most dispersion here, including creatures such as seahorses and some corals.

"Kittwake birds nest along this stretch of coast and it is one of the most southern colonies of that bird in the world.

ìSo we are calling for the areas at sea that these birds need to have a greater degree of protection.

"The irony is that kittywakes between Brighton and Newhaven are protected on land, so people can't take their eggs or disturb them, but at sea they aren't protected."

He added: "We estimate about 30 per cent of sea protected for wildlife would be a good figure.

"Somewhere like that South Downs is protected but people can still farm and visit there, but there is a degree of protection for the environment.

"We are not saying people shouldn't fish or visit, but the marine environment needs to be better managed.

"There is a rush for the sea at the moment as people investigate new sources of energy and oil, gas and fisheries are still important. But conservation is important too and we want that to be looked at with an equal view as all those other interests.

"The marine environment of the UK is incredibly rich, arguably as rich as the land that we have brilliant protection for.

"It has shaped our history and our islands and we need to give a little bit back."

Does our coastline get enough protection?