Puffins living off the coast of North East England could be given added protection after Brexit by new bylaws to protect English marine sites from destructive fishing practices. The Government has launched a call for evidence on managing five Marine Protected Areas, including Dogger Bank, home to sand eels which provide food for puffins and porpoises, and critically endangered species such as common skate. The largest shallow sandbank in British waters, Dogger Bank has been the subject of a campaign by Greenpeace, who last month dropped boulders in the area to block industrial bottom trawlers. An investigation by the group revealed that last year so-called ‘supertrawlers’ spent the equivalent of 123 days in the UK’s marine protected areas. Campaigners have called for additional protections for all of the UK’s 73 offshore MPAS, which until Brexit were regulated by the EU’s common fisheries policy. Charles Clover of the Blue Marine Society said: “The question is why the government is only consulting on the management of four offshore marine protected areas from Jan 1, not all 73 as it is required to by law?” Aside from Dogger Bank, three other offshore sites have been identified by the Government as priority for conservation, including The Canyons, off the coast of Cornwall, which is home to rare cold water corals. The others are Inner Dowsing off the Lincolnshire coast and South Dorset Marine Conservation Zone, and the government will also look to increase protections over the inshore Studland Bay Marine Conservation Zone which is home to seahorses and seagrass beds. The Marine Management Organisation will now accept evidence from foreign and domestic fishing companies and conservation groups over the extent of protection in the five sites. Environment Secretary, George Eustice said: “Leaving the Common Fisheries Policy will allow us to take action to protect our offshore Marine Protected Areas – and I’m pleased that by using the powers in our landmark Fisheries Bill we will be able to better safeguard precious marine habitats.” But marine conservation groups fear additional protections may be sacrificed in trade negotiations. Commenting on the call for evidence, Jean-Luc Solandt of the Marine Conservation Society said: “Why do we need to consult on the management of these sites again because they were consulted on before when they were designated? They include the same features that they included then.”
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