Vital marine ecosystems in an additional 4,000 square km of our seas to receive protection

Vital marine ecosystems in an additional 4,000 square km of our seas to receive protection - Marine Management Organisation

Fragile sponge & anthozoan communities ©Natural England/Tim Allsop #HiddenSeas

Marine Management Organisation (MMO) byelaw to protect valuable marine habitats and species in a further 13 English offshore marine protected areas (MPAs) will come into force on 22 March 2024.

Following formal consultation in 2023 and an official announcement on 31 January 2024 as part of Government’s 1 year on Environmental Improvement Plan progress update, management measures prohibiting the use of bottom towed fishing gear will be introduced to protect an area of almost 4,000 square kilometres off the English coast.

This will increase the total area protected by MMO byelaws to almost 18,000 square kilometres – an area larger than Yorkshire and Norfolk combined.

The confirmation of the new byelaw represents a significant step forward in the MMO’s ambitious programme to protect all 54 English offshore MPAs from impacts of fishing activity by 2024.

In June 2022, four byelaws were implemented in key sites including Dogger Bank, Inner Dowsing, Race Bank and North Ridge, South Dorset and The Canyons.

There are 181 MPAs (including highly protected marine areas) covering over 40% of England’s waters. These areas are critical to protecting rare and threatened habitats and species, ensuring a healthier marine environment and enabling the restoration of valuable ecosystems that support a sustainable fishing industry for the future.

Locations that have now gained protection include Cape Bank, home to ecologically important species such as pea urchins and a type of starfish called a cushion star; Haig Fras, a site that supports a variety of fauna ranging from jewel anemones and solitary corals; and, Hartland Point to Tintagel, which is home to reef habitats containing pink sea fans and fragile sponges.

The 2023 consultation ran alongside a call for evidence to gather views on the impacts of anchored nets and lines, bottom towed fishing gear and traps on valuable marine features such as reefs and sandbanks. The evidence is currently being reviewed by MMO, with a formal consultation on any further management measures required due later this year.