Will Scotland finally ban bottom-trawling fishing in protected areas?
A new public consultation has begun which could stop one of the most destructive forms of marine harvesting in waters around northern regions of the UK.
In total, the study aims to gauge support for banning bottom-trawling fishing from 20 offshore marine protected areas [MPAs]. According to an official statement, Holyrood has two options for 15 locations, either whole-of-site bans or a ban on trawling close to specific ‘features’ such as reefs, while whole-of-site protection is only being considered for the remaining five places.
It is thought that Scottish MPAs experienced 6,000 hours of bottom-trawling fishing in 2023 alone, which have devastated large areas of the seabed by essentially ‘bulldozing’ habitats, in turn ploughing up stores of blue carbon. This rose to 33,000 hours of fishing by vessels equipped with bottom-towed gear for the UK as a whole.
By-catch from this is extremely high, with untargeted wildlife disturbed and destroyed through the process. Despite being designated as protected areas, there are no formal restrictions on bottom-trawling or dredging in most UK MPAs.
Environmental campaigners are already pushing for whole-of-site regulations to stop this form of fishing, with research from Lyme Bay, off the coasts of Devon and Dorset, showing a significant difference in nature recovery between the two possible options for restricting bottom-trawling in MPAs. When specific features are protected, species increased by just 15%, but this rose to 95% when the rules were expanded to cover the entire area.
‘These ocean havens are home to some of Scotland’s most incredible marine wildlife, and this is our chance to restore, replenish and regenerate Scotland’s seas. The Scottish Government’s consultation on this vital issue is welcome and much needed,’ said Hugo Tagholm, Executive Director at Oceana UK. ‘The truth is, bottom trawling is brutal. So-called protected areas are decimated, as the living seabed is destroyed and along with it vital refuges for wildlife and the foundations of ocean health. From ancient corals to rare sharks – almost nothing escapes the weighted nets.’
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Image: Lawrence Hookham