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Marine Protected Areas: Bottom Trawling

Asked by Martin WrigleyLiberal DemocratDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled Answered 4 June 2026UIN 3008

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department will take to enforce the proposed ban on bottom trawling in marine conservation areas.

Answered by Emma Hardy

The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) and the ten Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authorities are responsible for enforcing fisheries restrictions within Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). For example, the MMO remotely monitors the movements of all fishing vessels using satellite technology and investigates incursions into areas of MPAs where fishing activities are restricted. In addition, MMO’s offshore patrol vessels and aerial surveillance flights are used to monitor and deter any prohibited activity.

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