MP calls for ban on ‘bottom trawling’ of seabeds in marine protected areas

A Labour MP has called for a blanket ban on “bottom trawling” of seabeds in marine protected areas (MPAs), which she said destroys fragile ecosystems and habitats.

Katie White compared bottom trawling, which is the act of dragging heavy nets across the seabed, with “ripping up an orchard to pick an apple”.

One or two trawls can decimate an area for up to five years, the Leeds North West MP said, and currently only 5% of the UK’s marine protected areas ban this “destructive” practice.

In the Commons, Ms White said the Marine Protected Areas (Bottom Trawling) Bill, which proposes to “ban bottom trawling in our marine protected areas”, will offer the opportunity of a “fairer, greener future”.

Ms White previously worked for the charity Friends of the Earth, during which she co-led a campaign for the Climate Change Act, which was passed in 2008.

On Tuesday she told MPs “the health of our seas is not just an issue for coastal constituencies, it is a national responsibility”, adding that its ecosystems are “vital to our economy and communities, particularly our essential fishing industry”.

She continued: “While our seas work hard for us, they face growing pressures, and bottom trawling is one of the most destructive practices of all.

“For members unfamiliar, destructive bottom trawling involves dragging heavy nets and metal work across our seabed, destroying fragile ecosystems and habitats that take decades or even centuries to recover.

“As a fellow member so aptly put it to me, it’s like ripping up an orchard to pick an apple.

“Just one or two trawls over an area can decimate the seabed for up to five years and, alarmingly, this is happening right now across our marine protected areas, zones specifically we’ve designated to safeguard and recover biodiversity.

“My Bill builds on previous work to ban this practice; as it stands right now, only 5% of the UK’s marine protected areas have a ban on this destructive practice.”

Ms White said small fishing businesses are “suffering” because of bottom trawling, and called for stronger protections.

She continued: “Let’s be clear, it’s not our hardworking British fishermen who are dragging heavy nets across the seabed, destroying delicate ecosystems.

“The culprits are industrial-scale operations and super-trawlers that prioritise profit over sustainability, leaving our own small-scale fishers to bear the brunt of their actions.

“This is David versus Goliath, a fight to protect the life blood of our coastal communities from the destructive might of industrial fishing giants.

“In 2023 just 10 fishing vessels, over 20 metres in length, were responsible for over a quarter of the destructive bottom trawling. None of these 10 vessels were from the UK.”

Ms White said Lyme Bay, where there is a partial ban on bottom trawling, is “living evidence” that recovery is possible, with coral reefs regrowing and scallop numbers increasing.

She added: “The implementation of this Bill is a matter of common sense for the small fisheries of this country, for the wildlife in our marine protected areas, and for all of us who depend on a healthy planet.”

The Bill was listed for a second reading on Friday June 20, but is unlikely to become law because of a lack of parliamentary time.