‘A golden opportunity’: UK unveils plan to ban bottom trawling in more marine protected areas

Conservationists are celebrating a connection from nan UK authorities to prohibition bottommost trawling successful dozens much marine protected areas (MPAs). 

MPAs are sections of nan water that a state intends to protect because they are of peculiar ecological importance. Bottom trawling - a destructive type of sportfishing that drags weighted nets crossed nan seafloor - is allowed successful galore of these delicate areas.

Currently, only 4 of nan UK’s 377 MPAs are afloat protected from bottom-towed sportfishing cogwheel - an area covering 18,000 quadrate kilometres. A caller connection announced astatine nan commencement of nan 3rd United Nations Oceans Conference (UNOC) successful Nice would spot an further 30,000km2 protected, pinch nan prohibition extended to 41 MPAs. Size wise, that’s astir half of English MPAs.

“Bottom trawling is damaging our precious marine wildlife and habitats. Without urgent action, our oceans will beryllium irreversibly destroyed - depriving us, and generations to come, of nan oversea life connected which we each enjoy,” Environment Secretary Steve Reed said successful a connection this morning.

“The authorities is taking decisive action to prohibition destructive bottom trawling wherever appropriate.”

Its first measurement is simply a consultation, launching coming (9 June) until 1 September, which will induce marine and fisheries stakeholders to stock their views and springiness grounds astir nan projected ban. 

If adopted, nan measures would protect marine habitats ranging from subtidal sandbanks to gravels to muds, and support important marine type specified arsenic lobster, clams, soft corals and langoustines, nan authorities says.

Blue NGOs invited plans, but opportunity protections must spell beyond insubstantial to reality

“Destructive bottommost trawling has nary spot successful marine protected areas. These proposals supply a aureate opportunity to safeguard these captious marine sanctuaries from nan astir damaging sportfishing practices,” says Hugo Tagholm, Executive Director of nan water defense group Oceana UK.

“If these whole-site bans are afloat implemented, this could supply an invaluable and urgently needed lifeline for England’s seas, which are truthful important for wildlife and ambiance resilience.”

Joan Edwards, Director of Policy and Public Affairs astatine The Wildlife Trusts, besides emphasises that decently protecting MPAs is “a win-win for some quality and nan climate.”

“Removing this unit is simply a awesome measurement guardant towards protecting not only nan wildlife and food stocks wrong those sites, but besides nan c stored successful nan seabed muds beneath,” she says.

Still, conservationists are anxious to guarantee promising words are backed by action, moreover aft nan spotlight of UNOC3 has dimmed.

“The authorities should now fortify nan prohibition to screen each parts of our marine protected areas, and different types of destructive business sportfishing for illustration supertrawlers and fly-shooters. Only this will guarantee our marine ecosystems are protected successful reality - not only connected paper,” comments Ariana Densham, Head of Oceans astatine Greenpeace UK.

Stephen Fry and Theo James prima successful movie exposing horrors of bottommost trawling

Clare Brook, CEO of Blue Marine Foundation, calls nan announcement “highly encouraging and very welcome. If delivered (and retrieve this is simply a consultation) it will mean that England’s offshore MPAs are astatine past fixed nan protection they claim.”

The water conservation kindness is making waves pinch nan merchandise of its satirical short movie featuring Stephen Fry and White Lotus prima Theo James. The Bottom Line takes spot successful a good eating restaurant, wherever James’s characteristic is presented pinch nan gruesome bycatch down his “sustainable” hake order. 

“As a keen diver, I’ve agelong been captivated by nan water and been horrified by nan effect humans are having connected it. Having had a load of bycatch dumped connected me, it really drove location conscionable really grotesque and devastating nan believe of bottommost trawling is,” said James, who is an ambassador for nan kindness alongside Fry. 

"Conservation argumentation is awash pinch shiny caller announcements and awesome sounding targets whereas what is needed is existent delivery,” Jonny Hughes, Senior Policy Manager astatine Blue Marine Foundation, said of today’s news. 

‘This, astatine first glance, seems to beryllium astir delivering conservation. We request to spot nan afloat specifications but first reference is positive."

Where do different European countries guidelines connected bottommost trawling?

France’s stance connected bottommost trawling is besides nether review. The co-host of UNOC has announced strict protection measures for 4 per cent of its mainland waters (15,000 quadrate kilometres), banning harmful quality activities including bottommost trawling.

But nan announcement falls short of implementing a broad prohibition connected bottommost trawling crossed each MPAs, biology lawyers note. 

“This is an important turning point,” ClientEarth CEO Laura Clarke said of nan UK and French updates. “We invited these pledges astatine UNOC - and we would for illustration to spot much of them. We besides request to spot these bans efficaciously enforced.”

Last year, Greece became nan first European state to denote a prohibition connected bottommost trawling successful its protected areas, starting pinch its 3 nationalist marine parks by 2026. Sweden has gone a measurement further by promising to prohibition nan damaging believe successful each its territorial waters arsenic of adjacent month.

The EU’s 2023 Marie Action Plan calls connected personnel states to shape retired bottommost trawling successful each MPAs by 2030. But caller investigation from NGOs Oceana, Seas At Risk and ClientEarth revealed that nary EU state presently has a broad scheme successful spot to shape retired destructive sportfishing practices successful these protected areas. 

As momentum builds, biology organisations are pressuring each European countries to travel suit. ClientEarth, Oceana, Danish NGO Danmarks Naturfredningsforening and nan Seas astatine Risk conjugation past week threatened legal action against Denmark, nan Netherlands and Spain for allowing wide bottommost trawling successful its MPAs.