More than 80% of EU marine protected areas are ineffective, study shows

Activities such as mining, dredging and bottom trawling in most MPAs mean conservation targets will be missed, say researchers

Most of Europe's marine protected areas, set up to safeguard species and habitats, will not meet conservation targets as they provide only marginal" protection against industrial activities such as dredging, mining and bottom trawling, a study has revealed.

Low levels of protection in 86% of marine protected areas (MPAs) have left the EU far from reaching its 2030 biodiversity targets, which are designed to reduce the risk of species' extinction, researchers said in a paper published in the One Earth journal. The EU aims to protect 30% of its seas by 2030, with 10% strictly" protected from damaging activities.