Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to designate areas of UK coastal fishing waters as Highly Protected Marine Areas.

We welcome the publication of the review into Highly Protected Marine Areas (HPMAs), which was published on 8 June 2020 and is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/highly-protected-marine-areas-hpmas-review-2019. I am grateful to Richard Benyon and the advisory panel for their work. We will consider Richard Benyon's report and issue a formal response to him in due course, recognising our continued priority to support the cross-Government response to Covid-19. From there on, we have an opportunity to develop a programme of work to bring forward highly protected areas for the first time in English waters. We would of course consult widely with the public and stakeholders, including fishers, before any decision to designate an HPMA.

A healthy and sustainable fishing industry in the long-term is dependent on a healthy marine environment, and the Fisheries Bill creates a robust framework for managing our fisheries sustainably in the future. The panel has concluded that HPMA can be a valuable tool to help deliver healthy seas. However, we recognise that some members of the fisheries community may be concerned by the impact of the Review’s recommendations on their livelihoods. The report suggests several ways in which government can reduce the impact on the fishing industry, for example by siting protected areas within existing protected areas and be adopting early, continuous engagement with all stakeholders when considering the location for an HPMA. Extensive consultation will take place before any decisions are made.