Habitat
The discussions led by the Marine Management Agency (MMO) and DEFRA will run for 12 weeks from Monday to September 1st. The proposed measures will be added to the English seabed of approximately 18,000 km2 already protected from fishing gear in the bottom.
MPAs are marine regions established to protect habitats and species essential to healthy marine ecosystems, enabling vulnerable, rare and important marine organisms to recover from harming human activity.
While bottom trolls and other forms of destructive fishing are permitted in British waters, conservatories have long campaigned for a complete ban in all marine protected areas.
It has 181 MPAs, including three highly protected marine regions (HPMAs), covering 93,000 km² or 40% English oceans.
The measure is intended to protect marine habitats ranging from tide dal sandbars to gravel and mud, and to support important marine species such as lobsters, clams, soft corals and langtins.
Destructive
The ban on bottom trolling in these areas saves valuable and rare marine life and helps the seabed recover from the damage caused by destructive fishing.
It could lead to healthier marine ecosystems across the UK’s oceans, supporting greater biodiversity and helping to sustain vulnerable underwater lives.
New management measures for fishing at 42 MPA in English waters – ban on bottom fishing at 41, and ban on fishing using traps in designated areas – is one of the proposals.
Reed said: “Bottom trawls are damaging precious marine wildlife and habitats. Without urgent action, our oceans irreversibly destroy the marine life that we all enjoy.
ratification
The world is also a summit to establish protected areas in international waters, looking at which countries are ratifying the UN high seas treaty.
The Maritime Treaty, agreed by 193 countries two years ago, will not enter into force until ratification by 60 countries, but more than half of that number have done so.
The UK government is one of those criticised by environmentalists for not ratifying the treaty yet, or at least for announcing a timeline for introducing necessary legislation.
Asked last week if there had been any progress, Minister Mary Krieg told PA News Agency:
“The international treaty must be carried out by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. There was a discussion with the Minister of Foreign Affairs. I am confident that the treaty will be ratified, but it will be ratified soon.”
This author
Helen William is a PA reporter. Rebecca Speare-Cole is a sustainability reporter for PA. This article has been edited Ecologist online.
