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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the press release entitled Nature recovery to be accelerated as the government delivers on measures to protect land and sea, published 31 January 2024, if he will publish a consultation on restrictions on bottom-towed fishing gear in the remainder of England’s offshore Marine Protected Areas.

We have completed the first two stages of our programme to manage damaging fishing activity in England’s offshore Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). For the remaining MPAs, the Marine Management Organisation has issued calls for evidence to seek stakeholder views and build the evidence base to inform the development of any byelaws needed to allow MPA conservation objectives to be achieved. As before, any necessary byelaws will be subject to public consultation.