ISLE of Wight ferry operator Wightlink's plans to introduce larger ships on the Lymington to Yarmouth crossing this summer could be scuppered by the Marine Fisheries Agency.

Lymington estuary mudflats are in two Special Protection Areas and are a Ramsar site for birds and wetland habitat.

There are concerns the new 1,495 tonne displacement boats will further erode the marshes and be a hazard to sailors.

Wightlink applied to the agency for a Fepa (food and environmental protection) licence to carry out work to Lymington Pier to accommodate the R-Class boats. The work involves passenger ramps, linkspan bridges and fendering.

After taking legal advice and consulting with Natural England, the MFA decided the introduction of larger ferries should be considered with the harbour works as one proposal when considering the environmental impacts.

Claire Lambert of Natural England said: "Because the larger ferries have the potential to have a detrimental impact on the salt marsh and mudflat habitat of the Lymington estuary, the MFA have decided that they need to undertake an appropriate assessment' under the Habitat Directions (stemming from the Habitats and Birds Directive).

"The MFA will need to demonstrate in the appropriate assessment that the introduction of the new ferries and the shoreside works will not have an adverse effect' on the international sites before they can issue the licence."

The MFA has now asked Wightlink to provide information about how potential impacts can be mitigated or offset.

If it can be demonstrated there will be an impact on the marshes, work can only go ahead if there is no alternative and if the secretary of state decides there are imperative reasons of over-riding public interest.

However, Wightlink marketing manager Kerry Jackson said: "The MFA is not issuing licences for the new ferries. These are required for works proposed to the vessel berths at the Lymington terminal where new berthing piles are required.

"There is no linking together of the new ferries and the proposed shoreworks by the MFA.

"We are fully expecting the licences to be issued, once the existing objection to the proposed shore works from Natural England is removed."