Conservationists said the move to properly protect an area the size of south Wales would help restore and preserve important habitats. The Dogger Bank MPA, which is 12,300 km2, is a vital North Sea breeding ground for commercial species including cod and whiting as well as sand eels, a food source enjoyed by kittiwakes, puffins and porpoises. But they warned that the proposals, put forward under the Fisheries Act, to give proper protection to just four MPAs would only tackle the “tip of the iceberg” in terms of reversing declines in marine wildlife.

Nearly a quarter of UK territorial waters are covered by MPAs, set up to protect vital ecosystems and species, including harbour porpoises and dolphins. This network of parks is a symbol of the government’s “world leading” target to protect 30% of ocean biodiversity by 2030.