Drop the Pilots!

Forty percent of the UK's coastal waters are designated Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). MPAs have been described, however, as 'paper exercises', as 97% of these locations are regularly subjected to highly destructive activities. The worst activities include dredging and bottom trawling. The government is announcing a 'pilot study' to create at least 5 areas with extra protections (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/jun/09/uk-to-trial-highly-protected-marine-areas-in-win-for-ocean-campaigners). Dredging, bottom trawling and extractions will be banned in these 'new' Highly Protected Marine Areas (HPMAs). There will be a consultation process, to determine where the HPMAs will be located. This could 'kick their creation into the long grass' or, at least, until COP26 has finished? I really don't see why one needs 'pilots' for the creation of HPMAs. It is pretty obvious that preventing disruptive activities, will benefit ecology in these zones. This will improve catches outside those areas (there is already good evidence of this). HPMAs may act as a magnet to rogue fisherfolk, so policing might be an issue. It is also unclear, at the moment, how large these areas will be. The whole process seems too slow and limited, when there is an urgent requirement to protect about 30% of the oceans. There is a danger that this is just another 'paper exercise'!