Below is the text to a Written Parliamentary Question that Sir Oliver asked the Department for the Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs, and the answer that he recieved from them.

Q: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 4 December 2014 to Question 216668, how many of the marine protected areas in the waters of (a) the UK and (b) UK overseas territories are designated as no-take zones. 

A: In English waters, three areas within Marine Protected Areas have regulations in place to prohibit all fishing activity. They are located within the Lundy Island, Flamborough Head and Morecombe Bay European Marine Sites. In addition there are numerous areas where fishing is highly regulated to conserve features for which Marine Protected Areas have been designated. There are other areas that may be closed to all fishing activities for a variety of other purposes, for example for the protection of wrecks and exclusion zones around offshore energy installations.

Issues relating to fishery closures in Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland are a matter for the respective administrations.

With regards to UK overseas territories, the British Indian Ocean Territory MPA is designated a no-take zone. The Maritime Zone of South Georgia & South Sandwich Islands is designated as an MPA, of which 20,000km² is a no-take zone.

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