While UK fishing boats do now have a greater share of some stocks, EU boats are still permitted to fish in UK waters. An update to the UK Marine Strategy this year found that just two of 11 categories assessing the health of UK waters met the standard of Good Environmental Status. ‘A lot of this can’t come back naturally without our help.’Bottom trawling also remains common within UK waters. Graham argues this ‘contradicts the objectives of the marine protected areas’. Environmental groups argue that enforcement remains patchy, data collection is inconsistent, and foreign access to UK waters continues under opaque rules.