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UK Seeks to Extend Ban on Bottom Trawling Fishing in English Seas
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on June 8, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 23, 2026
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The UK plans to extend its ban on bottom trawling to protect marine life, covering 30,000 square km of English seas, supported by David Attenborough and Prince William.
UK Government Plans to Expand Bottom Trawling Ban in English Waters
LONDON (Reuters) -The British government said on Monday it planned to extend a ban on bottom trawling to protect marine life amid calls from acclaimed naturalist David Attenborough and Prince William for urgent measures to protect the world's oceans.
The plan, which will be subject to a consultation with those in the marine and fisheries sector, would see bottom trawling - dragging large nets along the sea floor - banned across about 30,000 square km (11,600 square miles) of English seas covering 41 Marine Protected Areas, the government said.
It said the move would protect vital marine habitats and support species such as lobster, clams, soft corals and langoustines. Currently there is a ban covering about 18,000 square km of English seabeds.
"Bottom trawling is damaging our precious marine wildlife and habitats," Environment Minister Steve Reed said in a statement. "Without urgent action, our oceans will be irreversibly destroyed."
The proposal coincides with the start of this week's United Nations Ocean Conference in France, which is seeking to get agreement for a treaty to protect the world's oceans and seabeds from overfishing and other human activities.
On Sunday Prince William, the elder son of King Charles and heir to the throne, called on politicians and business leaders at an event in Monaco ahead of the UN conference to act "while we still have the chance".
Meanwhile Attenborough, whose latest documentary film "Ocean" on the issue was released last month, said he was appalled by what humans had done to "the deep ocean floor", saying it was "unspeakably awful".
"If you did anything remotely like it on land, everybody would be up in arms," Attenborough told William in an interview which was released by the prince's office on Saturday.
(Reporting by Michael HoldenEditing by Alexandra Hudson)
Key Takeaways
- •UK government plans to extend bottom trawling ban.
- •The ban will cover 30,000 square km of English seas.
- •The proposal aims to protect marine habitats and species.
- •David Attenborough and Prince William support the initiative.
- •The announcement aligns with the UN Ocean Conference.
Frequently Asked Questions about UK seeks to extend ban on bottom trawling fishing in English seas
1What is the UK government planning regarding bottom trawling?
The UK government plans to extend the ban on bottom trawling to protect marine life, covering about 30,000 square kilometers of English seas.
2Who has supported the ban on bottom trawling?
Acclaimed naturalist David Attenborough and Prince William have called for action to protect marine habitats and support the ban on bottom trawling.
3What is the purpose of the proposed ban extension?
The proposed ban aims to protect vital marine habitats and support species such as lobster, clams, soft corals, and langoustines.
4What event coincides with the announcement of the ban extension?
The announcement coincides with the start of the United Nations Ocean Conference in France, which seeks to establish a treaty for ocean protection.
5What did David Attenborough say about bottom trawling?
David Attenborough expressed his dismay at the damage caused by bottom trawling to the deep ocean floor, stating it would provoke outrage if similar actions occurred on land.
