The Government is under pressure to protect Britain’s marine protected areas after analysis showed the Dogger Bank protected area has seen destructive bottom trawling operations triple since Brexit.
A year ago, conservationists welcomed government proposals to ban trawling and dredgering, which involve pulling weighted nets across the seabed, in 14,030 square kilometers (5,400 sq mi) of English waters, an area the size of Northern Ireland. The area includes Dogger Bank and three other marine protected areas (MPAs).
The Marine Conservation Society (MCS) analyzed fisheries data collected by Global Fishing Watch and found that bottom trawling and dredging at this site had increased from about 1,700 hours per year between 2015 and 2018 to 5,500 hours per year between 2020 and late 2021.
She accused the government of “broken promises and late action” over the proposed ban on fishing, which is still a year away from taking effect. The ban was introduced via an ordinance, which is usually passed within 12 months.
In a statement, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said new regulations banning bottom trawling in the four MPAs were “being finalized” but gave no timetable.
The Dogger Bank MPA, one of Europe’s largest sandbanks at 12,300 km², is an important breeding ground for commercial species such as cod and whiting, as well as sandeels, which are a food source for puffins, porpoises and kittiwakes. It is also an important site for blue carbon, the CO2 sequestered and stored in coastal and marine ecosystems.
Almost a quarter of UK territorial waters are covered by MPAs set up to protect vital ecosystems and species, including porpoises and dolphins. This network is a symbol of government The goal is to protect 30% of ocean biodiversity by 2030.
However, more than 97% of Britain’s marine protected areas are being dredged and bottom trawled, according to data shared with the Guardian.
dr Jean-Luc Solandt, Principal Specialist in MPAs at MCS, said: “MPAs are currently a lie. Since we left the EU, there has been an incredible increase in harmful fishing in the Dogger Bank. Are we really taking control of our waters?
“The government promised that a year ago. We were very optimistic, but nothing happened. There is no sign of the promised timetable to ensure administration for England’s full roster of 40 offshore MPAs.”
At current rates, it would take more than a decade to put management in place for all MPAs, Solandt said.
Frith Dunkley, MPA-Forscher am MCS: “In the year since this regulation banning bottom-towed fishing gear from the Dogger Bank MPA was proposed, the sandbar habitat and the species it was designed to protect have continued to be damaged by fishing activities, marine life degraded and ecologically important species such as sandeels. “
This week, the MCS is launching a social media campaign using the hashtag MarineUnprotectedAreas, urging the public to tweet their MPs and MSPs to ban bottom trawling and dredging in offshore MPAs.
Ministers are also facing pressure from within the Tory party to protect the seabed. On Tuesday, former Transport Secretary Chris Grayling will table a 10-minute motion in Parliament for a bill that would require the Secretary of State to ban bottom trawling in MPAs.
Charles Clover, executive director of the Blue Marine Foundation, which will support the MCS campaign, said: “If we have learned anything about marine conservation, it is this: sensible protection allows for significant and rapid recovery. To protect our fish stocks and low-impact fisheries, the UK needs to wake up and effectively protect these ‘protected areas’ from the seabed.”
The government has argued that before Brexit it had no control over fishing rights.
When Environment Secretary George Eustice announced proposals to ban bottom trawling in the four MPAs last year, he said: “Now that we have left the Common Fisheries Policy, we can deliver on our commitment to a healthy, thriving and sustainable marine environment.”
Citing the Fisheries Act’s power to further protect Britain’s seas, Eustice added: “This proposal to introduce statutes to protect four of our valuable offshore marine reserves shows how we are putting those powers into action.”
Located about 75 miles east of Hull, Dogger Bank has been heavily fished for decades. Bottom trawling releases carbon from the seafloor into the ocean, reducing its ability to mitigate climate change. Dogger Bank has the capacity to store the most carbon of any UK MPA, according to MCS.
last september, Greenpeace dropped huge boulders from his ship into the Dogger Bank MPA to create a restricted area for trawlers.
A Defra spokesman said: “We are focused on ensuring all English MPAs are effectively managed as soon as possible – 98 coastal MPAs now have management measures in place to protect sensitive features from bottom-towed fishing gear.
“Following our consultation in 2021, new statutes protecting offshore MPAs will be finalized for the first four high-risk sites identified.”
–
