The Secretary of State must by regulations make provision to regulate and
limit the practice of bottom trawling in marine protected areas.
A
bill
to
Regulate and limit the practice of bottom trawling in marine protected areas; and for connected purposes.
B e it enacted by the King’s most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:—
The Secretary of State must by regulations make provision to regulate and
limit the practice of bottom trawling in marine protected areas.
The regulations—
must prohibit bottom trawling in those marine protected areas defined
in
subsection (3)
;
may make associated provision about licensing and enforcement;
may confer responsibilities and powers on the Marine Management
Organisation and Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authorities; and
may create criminal offences punishable with a fine in respect of
failures to comply with the regulations.
In this Act—
“
bottom trawling” is fishing by dragging heavy weighted nets across the
sea floor using bottom towed fishing gear;
“
bottom towed fishing gear” means any trawls, seines, dredges or similar
gear, including trawls towed on or very close to the sea bed, which
are actively moved in the water by one or more fishing vessels or by
any other mechanised system and in which any part of the gear is
designed and rigged to operate on, and be in contact with, the seabed;
“
marine protected area” includes, a Marine Conservation Zone, a Nature
Conservation Marine Protected Area, Highly Protected Marine Area
and; a Special Area of Conservation, a Special Protection Area, a Site
of Special Scientific Interest, and an Area of Special Scientific Interest
in a marine environment, or a marine Ramsar Site.
Regulations under section 1 —
are to be made by statutory instrument;
may make different provision for different purposes;
may make transitional and saving provision;
may not be made unless a draft of the instrument has been laid before
and approved by a resolution of each House of Parliament.
Before laying draft regulations under
section 1
before Parliament, the Secretary
of State must consult—
the Scottish Ministers,
the Welsh Ministers,
the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs in
Northern Ireland,
Natural England
the Joint Nature Conservation Committee
the Marine Management Organisation; and
the Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authorities.
The Secretary of State must lay before Parliament a draft statutory instrument
containing regulations under
section 1
before the end of the period of one
year beginning on the day on which this Act is passed.
This Act extends to England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
This Act comes into force on the day on which it is passed.
This Act may be cited as the Marine Protected Areas (Bottom Trawling) Act
2024.
A
bill
to
Regulate and limit the practice of bottom trawling in marine protected areas; and for connected purposes.
Ordered to be Printed, .
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