To: Parliament

Marine Protected Areas should be protected

Marine Protected Areas have existed since the 1970s in New Zealand. Their areas have been a great success FOR THEIR FISHING INDUSTRY because young fish need to grow up before populations become sustainable. We also need to protect seagrass beds, which can absorb 30 times the carbon forests take up. Bottom trawling is terminal for seagrass beds and should be completely banned.

UK MPAs are little more than a colour on a map. Destructive practices like bottom trawling are permitted and there is little/no enforcement of protection.

Why is this important?

We urgently need to act to reduce carbon in the atmosphere and seagrass beds are "low-hanging fruit", absorbing 35 times as much carbon as forests on land. Many species will benefit from proper enforcement of MPAs and it's likely the fishing industry will benefit.

The ocean is losing species at an alarming rate. Young sea creatures need a safe place to grow.