Written questions

Marine Protected Areas: Bottom Trawling

Commons · Question 3008 · Tabled 19 May 2026 · Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs · Official record

Answered 4 Jun 2026

Question

Asked by Martin Wrigley

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.

Answer

Answered by Emma Hardy, 4 Jun 2026

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 fish...