UK Proposes Major Expansion of Bottom Trawling Ban to Safeguard Marine Protected Areas

Key Impact Points:

• UK government launches consultation to ban bottom trawling across 30,000 km² in 41 Marine Protected Areas.
• Move aims to protect rare marine life and habitats including lobsters, clams, soft corals, and seabed ecosystems.
• Measures build on existing protections and contribute to UK’s pledge to conserve 30% of oceans by 2030.

Government Moves to Curb Destructive Fishing Practices

The UK government has proposed new measures to ban bottom trawling—a fishing method that drags heavy nets along the seabed—in 41 Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), covering approximately 30,000 square kilometers of English waters. The initiative is designed to protect fragile marine ecosystems and accelerate the recovery of vulnerable habitats and species.

“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,” said Environment Secretary Steve Reed. “The Government is taking decisive action to ban destructive bottom trawling where appropriate.”

Protecting Biodiversity and Climate Resilience

The proposed ban would shield diverse seabed habitats such as subtidal sandbanks, gravels, and muds—home to species like langoustines, soft corals, clams, and lobsters. The plan also supports seabed regeneration, which strengthens marine biodiversity and helps lock away carbon in underwater sediments.

Joan Edwards, Director of Policy and Public Affairs at The Wildlife Trusts, welcomed the announcement:

“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… a win-win for both nature and the climate.”

Backed by Scientific Assessment and Stakeholder Consultation

The Marine Management Organisation (MMO), in collaboration with Defra, will launch a 12-week consultation from June 9 to September 1 to gather feedback from marine and fisheries stakeholders. The design of the proposed measures is rooted in detailed scientific assessments of bottom-towed fishing gear’s impact on sensitive seabed species and habitats.

Oceana UK’s Executive Director 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… a lifeline for England’s seas, which are so crucial for wildlife and climate resilience.”

Broader Ocean Commitments

These proposed protections add to the 18,000 km² of seabed already safeguarded from bottom trawling and align with the UK’s broader ocean conservation goals, including its commitment to protect 30% of the ocean by 2030.

At the UN Ocean Conference, the UK also pledged:

• £4 million more to the Global Fund for Coral Reefs (total UK contribution now £40 million)
• £2.8 million to the Outrigger Technical Assistance Fund supporting sustainable blue economies
• Renewed support for a legally binding global treaty on plastic pollution, with negotiations resuming in Geneva this August

These efforts complement the recently announced £360 million Fishing and Coastal Growth Fund, which aims to modernize the UK’s fishing fleet and enhance resilience in the seafood sector.