A ban on a “destructive” type of fishing that drags large nets along the seafloor could be extended across English waters, the government has said.The proposal would expand the ban on bottom trawling from 18,000km2 to 48,000km2 (around 18,500 sq miles) of the UK’s offshore areas that are already designated as protected. The plan is subject to a 12-week industry consultation.A UN Ocean Conference begins in France today amid warnings from Sir David Attenborough that bottom trawling is destroying areas of the seabed and marine life.A major goal of the conference is for more countries, including the UK, to ratify a treaty to put a third of international waters into protected areas by 2030.Speaking before the summit, Sir David told Prince William he was “appalled” by the fishing method. The naturalist’s latest documentary Ocean With David Attenborough showed new footage of a bottom trawling net bulldozing through silt on the seafloor and scooping up species indiscriminately.Last week, MPs on the Environmental Audit Committee renewed calls to ban bottom trawling, dredging and mining for aggregates on the seabed in what are known as Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). The extension proposed by the government would cover 41 of England’s 181 MPAs, and would protect rare marine animals and the delicate seabed they rely upon. It says it has carried out detailed assessments into the harms caused to habitats and species.Environment Secretary Steve Reed said “without urgent action our oceans will be irreversibly destroyed”.Mike Cohen, chief executive at the UK’s National Federation of …
