These are being implemented under new powers granted by the Fisheries Act, which is the first major fisheries law in in four decades.
These new regulations would make it illegal to fish in MPAs if there is proof that it harms species or damages habitats.
Between 1 February and 28 March 2021, a formal consultation on proposed management measures to manage fishing inside four Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in the English offshore region was held.
Following an examination of the replies to the consultation, the MMO has enacted these four byelaws, which have been confirmed by the Secretary of State and are now in effect.
Within these four MPAs in English waters, the byelaws will impose management controls on fishing:
Inner Dowsing, Race Bank, and North Ridge Special Areas of Conservation South Dorset Marine Conservation Zone Dogger Bank Special Area of Conservation.
The Marine Conservation Zone of the Canyons, Bottom trawls, dredges, demersal seines, and semi-pelagic trawls, generally known as bottom towed gear, are prohibited from operating in specified regions under these bylaws.
Over extremely sensitive areas, two of the sites also prohibit the use of certain static gear such as pots, nets, or lines.
It is critical to preserve the characteristics of these MPAs in order to protect the environmental services they provide.
Providing nursery sites for commercially significant fish species, providing food for marine birds and other threatened species, and sequestering and storing “blue” carbon are just some of the possibilities.
These measurements also allow researchers to learn more about how these functions change as ecosystems recover.
The first four MPAs were chosen as a top priority in order to protect their thriving and productive undersea ecosystems.
The Dogger Bank Special Area of Conservation, which features the greatest shallow sandbank in British waters and supports commercial fish species like cod and plaice, as well as sand eels, which are a significant food source for kittiwakes, puffins, and porpoises, is one of them.
The Canyons Marine Conservation Zone, which protects rare and highly fragile deep water corals, is also included.