The Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has outlined plans to ban the process of bottom trawling in more Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in UK waters.
Defra said the measures would “help protect rare marine animals” as well as seabeds from “indiscriminate and potentially irreversible” damage.
A consultation will invite marine and fisheries stakeholders to share their views and evidence on the prohibition of destructive bottom-towed fishing gear that could affect approximately 30,000km2 spanning 41 MPAs.
The measures would aim to protect marine habitats ranging from subtidal sandbanks to gravels to muds, and support marine species such as lobster, clams, soft corals and langoustines.
Defra stated that a ban on bottom trawling in these areas would help conserve valuable and rare marine life, and allow seabeds to recover from damage caused by destructive fishing practices. It said that such regeneration “will produce healthier marine ecosystems” across English waters, “supporting greater biodiversity” in seas as well as preserving underwater life.
The proposed measures would add to the approximately 18,000km2 of English seabed already protected from bottom-towed fishing gear, and form part of the Government’s programme to protect all English MPAs from harmful activity where needed.
“The Government is taking decisive action to ban destructive bottom trawling where appropriate.”
Environment Secretary Steve Reed commented: “Bottom trawling is damaging our precious marine wildlife and habitats.
“Without urgent action, our oceans will be irreversibly destroyed – depriving us, and generations to come, of the sea life on which we all enjoy.
“The Government is taking decisive action to ban destructive bottom trawling where appropriate.”
Hugo Tagholm, executive director of Oceana UK, stated: “Destructive bottom trawling has no place in marine protected areas. These proposals provide a golden opportunity to safeguard these vital marine sanctuaries from the most damaging fishing practices.
“If these whole-site bans are fully implemented, this could provide an invaluable and urgently needed lifeline for England’s seas, which are so crucial for wildlife and climate resilience.”
Defra said the design of the measures and choice of MPAs had been based on detailed assessments into the impacts of fishing on sensitive seabed habitats and species at risk of damage by bottom-towed fishing gear.
The consultation will be launched by the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) in partnership with Defra, and run for 12 weeks from Monday 9th June to Monday 1st September.
