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

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made, if any, of the quantity of "blue" carbon released from English waters as a result of bottom trawling.

The Government understands that marine carbon stores in sediments can be released due to human activities such as bottom trawling. However, the magnitude and direction of change in these carbon stores following trawling impacts remains uncertain, and it is difficult to quantify accurately based on current knowledge.

We are therefore continuing to gather evidence to improve assessments of impacts to marine carbon stores and fluxes. This builds upon the £10.5 million, six-year Shelf Seas Biogeochemistry research programme (2011-17), jointly funded by the Natural Environment Research Council and Defra.