Government Moves to Expand UK Ban on ‘Destructive’ Bottom Trawler Fishing

A controversial and damaging method of fishing that involves dragging massive nets along the seafloor could soon face a much broader ban across English waters, according to a new government proposal.

If approved, the plan would extend the current restrictions on bottom trawling to an additional 30,000 square kilometres, that’s about 11,500 square miles, across 41 Marine Protected Areas. However, it will first undergo a 12-week public consultation. The timing of the announcement is no coincidence. It comes just as global attention turns to the UN Ocean Conference, which kicks off Monday in France, and as warnings grow louder about the devastating impact this fishing practice has on marine ecosystems.

Sir David Attenborough, speaking ahead of the summit in conversation with Prince William, didn’t mince words. He said he was “appalled” by what bottom trawling is doing to the ocean floor. His new documentary, Ocean With David Attenborough, includes stark footage of a trawling net carving through the seabed, stirring up silt, and sweeping up marine life without discrimination.

The UK’s Environment Secretary, Steve Reed, issued an urgent call to action. “Without urgent intervention,” he said, “our oceans could be irreversibly destroyed.” His words echo a growing consensus among scientists, conservationists, and even lawmakers.

Just last week, members of Parliament on the Environmental Audit Committee renewed their demands for an outright ban on bottom trawling, as well as dredging and seabed mining, particularly in offshore protected areas.

The government claims that detailed environmental assessments back the proposed expansion of the ban. These studies highlight the damage being done to sensitive habitats and vulnerable species that rely on the seabed.

Consultation is now open and will run until September 1. Stakeholders from the marine and fishing industries are encouraged to weigh in.

Greenpeace UK’s head of oceans, Ariana Densham, called the proposal a “long-overdue step” in completing a process that the previous administration started. Meanwhile, the Wildlife Trust welcomed the move and urged quick action. Joan Edwards, the Trust’s Director of Policy and Public Affairs, described the ban as a “win-win for both nature and the climate.”

At the international level, pressure is also mounting for countries to ratify the High Seas Treaty, which is on the agenda at the conference in Nice. The treaty, agreed upon by 193 nations two years ago, aims to place 30 per cent of the world’s oceans under formal protection. But there’s a catch, it won’t go into effect until at least 60 countries ratify it. So far, only 28 have done so. The UK is not yet among them.

In the face of mounting scientific evidence and growing public concern, the question is no longer whether bottom trawling should be curbed, but whether governments will act fast enough to save what’s left.