Fishery concept, Fishing boat sailing in the sea with net or trawl on the side to catch the fish.
The UK Government has announced plans to extend the ban on bottom-towed fishing gear through a consultation, in order to protect seabeds and the animals that depend on them.
This consultation targets marine and fisheries stakeholders, and the resulting measures could impact around 30,000 km², encompassing 41 Marine Protected Areas (MPAs).
The aim is to achieve healthier and more diverse marine ecosystems. Among the protected species are lobsters, clams, soft corals, and langoustines, as well as marine habitats ranging from subtidal sandbanks to gravels and muds.
"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," assured Environment Secretary Steve Reed.
The Marine Management Organisation (MMO), in collaboration with the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra), will be responsible for organizing the consultation, which will run for 12 weeks, from Monday 9th June to Monday 1st September.
"The Wildlife Trusts have been campaigning for a long time for better management of our MPAs and therefore welcome the news today of a consultation to ban bottom-towed trawling in over 40 offshore sites," expressed Director of Policy and Public Affairs at British charity organization The Wildlife Trusts, Joan Edwards.
Additionally, Executive Director of Oceana UK, Hugo Tagholm, said: "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."
In the same line, Marine scientists from around the world signed an open letter to the United Nations (UN) on Friday calling for the protection of fragile deep-sea ecosystems, including seamounts, from the devastation caused by bottom trawling.
Furthermore, the UK Government is launching an ambitious £360 million investment aimed to benefit British fishing and coastal communities, Defra announced last month.
