The government is proposing to extend the ban on destructive bottom trawling in vulnerable areas of English seas - the fishing method involves dragging large nets along the sea floor.

The government has outlined plans to ban the destructive practice in more Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). The measures would help protect rare marine animals, as well as the delicate seabeds on which they rely, from indiscriminate and potentially irreversible damage.

Environment Secretary Steve Reed said:

“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.”

A new 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 consultation has been launched by the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) in partnership with the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra). The proposed measures include prohibitions on fishing using bottom towed gears in approximately 30,000 km2, on fishing using traps of approximately 860 km2, and on fishing using bottom set nets and lines in approximately 300 km2.

The measures would protect marine habitats ranging from subtidal sandbanks to gravels to muds, and support important marine species such as lobster, clams, soft corals and langoustines.

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.

The Wildlife Trusts have welcomed the news of a consultation to ban bottom-towed trawling in over 40 offshore sites – the NGO has been a long-term campaigner for better management of MPAs.

Director of Policy and Public Affairs at The Wildlife Trusts Joan Edwards said:

“For too long damaging activities have been allowed to continue within many of our Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) which are supposed to protect the seabed.

“Removing this pressure is a great step forward towards protecting not only the wildlife and fish stocks within those sites, but also the carbon stored in the seabed muds beneath. Following this consultation, we hope that these measures will be put in place rapidly to enable recovery of these sites, a win-win for both nature and the climate.”

Executive Director of Oceana UK Hugo Tagholm added:

“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.”

The proposed measures would add to the approximately 18,000 km2 of English seabed already protected from bottom-towed fishing gear, and form part of the government’s ambitious programme to protect all English MPAs from harmful activity where needed.

The design of the measures and choice of MPAs has 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 runs for 12 weeks from Monday 9th June to Monday 1st September - click here for more information and to access the consultation online.

Click here to download the consultation document