The UN Ocean Conference took place last week in Nice, France. The UK government is preparing to announce a significant new fisheries management measure, a ban on bottom trawling across its marine protected areas (MPAs).
According to Maritime Executive, the planned ban comes after years of pressure from environmental groups concerned about “large-scale destruction of seafloor habitats” linked to bottom-towed gear.
British Secretary of State for Environment Steve Reed shared the government’s intentions in an article for the Observer newspaper, ahead of his formal announcement at the conference. As reported by Maritime Executive, the ban will apply to “41 MPAs of the English seas spanning 30,000 square kilometers (about 18,641 square miles).” The government’s move to build on a statement from Minister for Water, Emmy Hardy, who said it is “committed to stopping bottom trawling on areas that damage the MPAs.”
The UK has designated 178 MPAs covering nearly 900,000 square kilometers (about 559,234 square miles) of English waters, but most of these allow certain damaging activities if they don’t directly affect the protected features. Currently, only Highly Protected Areas, of which there are only three at this point, ban destructive practices outright. Environmental advocates are urging the government to expand this network to “10 percent of UK waters by 2030.”
The new policy follows a recommendation from the House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee, which urged the government to clarify its marine priorities by January 2026, including how it will “balance marine exploitation and protections,” according to Maritime Executive.
