The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) is launching formal consultation on four of England’s 40 offshore Marine Protected Areas.
The MMO is consulting on byelaws being proposed under new powers introduced under the Fisheries Act. These byelaws aim to prohibit fishing activities in Marine Protected Areas where there is evidence that they harm wildlife or damage habitats. The proposed byelaws seek to prohibit the use of bottom towed fishing gear in all four sites and additional restrictions for static gears over sensitive features in two of the sites.
The consultation runs from 1st February 2021 to 28th March 2021 and follows a call for evidence, which closed in December 2020, during which the MMO sought additional evidence and views on the draft assessments and management options for the four offshore Marine Protected Areas.
These first four Marine Protected Areas were chosen as a priority to help protect their vibrant and productive undersea environments, and include the Dogger Bank Special Area of Conservation, which has the largest shallow sandbank in British waters.
According to the MMO, action is already being taken to tackle unsustainable activities within England’s seas, with management measures introduced in many inshore sites through byelaws introduced by both MMO and the Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authorities.
“This consultation is a big step forward in agreeing measures that will help protect and revive important marine habitats, vital to the unique and vibrant marine life that live within them,” said the MMO’s CEO Tom McCormack.
“We are ambitious for England’s seas and want to hear as many views as possible in order to create benefits for people and the economy, while protecting our precious marine environment for future generations.”
The MMO is seeking views on proposed byelaws for the Dogger Bank Special Area of Conservation (East of England), Inner Dowsing, Race Bank and North Ridge Special Area of Conservation (The Wash approaches, off the Lincolnshire and North Norfolk coasts), South Dorset Marine Conservation Zone (South West - Dorset) and the Canyons Marine Conservation Zone (South West – Offshore).
