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Today we release our investigation into the status of the UK's offshore marine protected areas. Out of the 73 areas, only five *might* be meeting their conservation objectives, and destructive fishing abounds in these nature reserves (1/5): https://www.greenpeace.org.uk/resources/bright-blue-seas-mpa-report/
For example, supertrawlers (fishing boats over 100metres long) spent nearly 3000 hours inside these areas in the 2019, other fishing gears are also observed regularly inside them (2/5): https://www.itv.com/news/2020-06-11/supertrawlers-spent-nearly-3-000-hours-fishing-in-uks-protected-marine-areas
After Brexit the UK has renewed powers over its offshore waters - an opportunity to come good on its promise to be world leading in ocean protection and sustainable fishing. It also means they cannot continue to blame Europe for the state of the UK's waters. (3/5)
But after yesterday's #FisheriesBill debate in which sustainability language was removed by Government from the draft legislation, we're getting worried that the UK's commitment to healthy oceans around our shores is no more than empty words (4/5): https://www.undercurrentnews.com/2020/09/09/uk-removes-key-sustainability-language-from-brexit-fisheries-bill/
If they're serious about making sure UK waters are healthy and full of wildlife for generations to come we need legally binding limits to stop overfishing and a network of fully protected ocean sanctuaries established around the UK. (5/5)
