UK seas in decline despite record protection levels

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Two fishermen collecting lobster fishing nets

Source: Getty Images

Defra acknowledged there were ‘encouraging signs of recovery’ but admitted ‘it is clear that more remains to be done’ in its own assessment of the report

The government has failed to protect the health of Britain’s seas, NGOs have warned, following the release of its latest UK Marine Strategy.

The strategy found the UK has not achieved good environmental status (GES) in 13 out of 15 indicators, covering areas including species health, seafood contamination and litter.

The only indicators meeting GES status were those for eutrophication (changes to nutrients and dissolved oxygen due to human activities) and hydrological conditions (changes resulting due to artificial structures and developments).

Marine Conservation Society head of ocean regeneration & sustainable seafood Chris Graham called the report “disheartening”.

“Any limited progress in commercial fish stocks has been outweighed by continued overfishing, further damage to the habitats these species rely on, and pollution entering our ocean,” Graham said, asserting the pressures were reflected in the organisation’s Good Fish Guide.

“Despite ambitions to recover ocean health, there is increased pressure on our ocean from human activities – risking marine life and the communities that rely on it,” he added. “The government must now act decisively to follow scientific advice, strengthen protections, prevent pollution and support low-impact fisheries.”

Defra acknowledged there were “encouraging signs of recovery” but admitted “it is clear that more remains to be done” in its assessment of the report.

The report found Marine Protection Areas covered 38% of UK waters, but Oceana UK fisheries campaigner Izzy Ross said MPAs had to be more than just “lines on a map”.

“Our government has a legal obligation to secure GES for our seas – but this should have been achieved by 2020,” Ross continued. “How long will the government ignore their own deadline, along with the protection of wildlife and the hopes and livelihoods of coastal communities?”

Blue Marine Foundation fisheries policy lead Jonny Hughes echoed concerns saying the report highlighted long-term declines in large fish, including significant reductions in species such as cod and saithe, alongside continued pressure from fishing activity and wider human impacts.

“Continued massive overfishing, refusal to ban bottom trawling even in supposedly protected areas, and non-existent monitoring or enforcement means it’s hardly surprising the seas are in such a bad state,” Hughes said. “Catching too many fish, doing nothing to protect the marine environment and not even enforcing the discard ban means this is entirely unsurprising.”

He continued: “At some point, making big bold statements about all the things you are going to do and then doing none of them becomes deliberately misleading.”

Defra said 60% of MPAs had by-laws protecting them from damaging fishing activity. It has also consulted on further restrictions in 42 MPAs covering 30,000 sq km, and on measures to protect Highly Protected MPAs from all damaging activity, in the past year.

“There is more to do but we have seen encouraging signs of recovery – grey seal populations are increasing, less plastic has been ingested by seabirds and some commercial fisheries have partially met GES,” a Defra spokesperson said.