49% of English MPA Features in Favourable Condition by 2030
Commitment: Get at least 49% of English Marine Protected Area (MPA) features into favourable condition by 2030. Environment Act 2021 statutory target.
Owner: Defra / Natural England / Marine Management Organisation
Target date: 31 December 2030
Metric: % of MPA features assessed as in favourable condition by Natural England marine assessments.
Status: at-risk
Context
England has approximately 376 Marine Protected Areas covering around 38% of English waters. However, the majority of MPA features are not in favourable condition — affected by:
- Damaging fishing (particularly bottom trawling, which is permitted in many MPAs)
- Nutrient and sediment pollution from agricultural runoff
- Climate change (sea temperature rise, ocean acidification)
- Physical disturbance from development
The 49% target represents significant improvement from the current baseline, where a relatively small proportion of features are assessed as in favourable condition.
Key issue: fishing in MPAs
Bottom trawling continues within designated MPAs where it has not been specifically banned. Defra consulted on banning damaging fishing in 42 additional MPAs (covering 30,000 km² including all bottom trawling) as noted in the Unlocking Benefits paper. This is the single most impactful action for improving MPA feature condition.
Critical tension: offshore wind
The clean-power-marine-environment tension is directly relevant here. The Clean Power 2030 target requires 43-50GW of offshore wind, much of which will be sited in or adjacent to MPAs. The OWEIP (Offshore Wind Environmental Improvement Package) is designed to mitigate impacts, but the fundamental spatial conflict between the 49% MPA favourable condition target and large-scale offshore wind installation is unresolved.
Delivery history
- [January 2025] EIP 2025: reaffirms 49% target; identifies fishing restrictions and MPA monitoring as key actions
- [July 2025] Unlocking Benefits paper: 42 MPAs consultation on fishing bans noted