Ministers must use Brexit powers to end the “national scandal” of more than 1.3 million tonnes of fish being taken from the UK’s marine protected areas (MPAs), campaigners say. The catch, which is enough to fill 500 Olympic-sized swimming pools, was taken from England’s waters between 2020 and 2024.

EU vessels caught around 800,000 tonnes, while UK vessels caught around 545,000 tonnes. Greenpeace said the UK MPAs are designated to protect marine wildlife and fragile ocean habitats – but these designations are currently “nothing more than lines on a map”

Chris Thorne, senior oceans campaigner at Greenpeace UK, said: “Just beneath the surface of our seas, right here in the UK, lies an extraordinary world of marine life – from shoals of colourful fish to dolphins to seahorses – but it’s facing a level of vandalism greater than we’d ever accept on land. The government claims vast areas of UK waters are protected, but the reality is a national scandal. Since 2020, more than 1.3 million tonnes of fish have been caught inside the UK’s so-called marine protected areas.”

Mr Thorne said: “Protection means nothing if these hulking industrial trawlers are allowed to devastate crucially important areas. MPAs should be safe havens where our incredible marine life and ecosystems can recover and thrive. Instead they remain protected only on paper and precious ocean life is being pushed to the brink.”

Almost 40% of England’s seas are designated as marine protected areas.

But the Government has failed to use its Brexit powers to end the large-scale industrial fishing that continues to devastate these areas.

Mr Thorne said: “Since leaving the EU, the UK government has had full powers to properly protect our marine protected areas – a measure that’s needed not only for marine life itself but also to support local fishing communities. Yet many remain little more than lines on a map.

“Banning bottom trawling in some sites would be a step forward, but other destructive fishing methods would still be allowed and much of the MPA network would remain vulnerable.

“If the government wants to show real leadership on ocean protection, it must stop all industrial fishing in UK MPAs and work with other states to properly protect 30% of the wider Atlantic Ocean by 2030, including the Sargasso Sea. This is the only way to ensure our oceans can recover and sustain future generations.”