Asked by: Daniel Zeichner (Labour - Cambridge)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has made and assessment of the potential merits of re-auditing seabed habitats in Marine Protected Areas.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra is undertaking a review of the English Marine Protected Area network to look at whether sites are in the right places with the right protection. The review will explore ways to update protection and management approaches to better address the nature crisis and improve climate change resilience, while supporting wider Government priorities including food security and net zero. The review includes assessing sites that have been designated for seabed habitats.
Asked by: Daniel Zeichner (Labour - Cambridge)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her department (a) conducted a review of the reliability of its data on seabed habitats in Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) before announcing proposed fisheries management measures in Stage 3 MPAs, and (b) will publish the review’s conclusions.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Drawing on the best scientific advice available, the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) has determined that management of fishing activities is required to protect our Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and to ensure compliance with our domestic and international legal obligations.
As part of the consultation on proposed byelaws for stage 3 MPAs, fisheries assessments were published for each site based on scientific advice from Natural England and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee and using evidence on the impacts of fishing gears on protected seabed habitats. This was supplemented by a call for evidence earlier in the process.
The consultation closed on 29 September and the MMO is now analysing the very large number of responses received, including any additional evidence on benthic habitats.
Asked by: Daniel Zeichner (Labour - Cambridge)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if her department will conduct a full benthic audit of seabed habitats in the 41 Stage 3 Marine Protected Areas before designating new fisheries management measures.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Drawing on the best scientific advice available, the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) has determined that management of fishing activities is required to protect our Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and to ensure compliance with our domestic and international legal obligations.
As part of the consultation on proposed byelaws for stage 3 MPAs, fisheries assessments were published for each site based on scientific advice from Natural England and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee and using evidence on the impacts of fishing gears on protected seabed habitats. This was supplemented by a call for evidence earlier in the process.
The consultation closed on 29 September and the MMO is now analysing the very large number of responses received, including any additional evidence on benthic habitats.