Bottom trawling is bulldozing Britain’s sealife protections
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Version 0 of 1. Other European nations are taking action against the fishing practice, writes Rick Klink, while Deborah Rowan Wright says the government should be compelled to follow scientific advice The decision not to ban bottom trawling in the UK’s marine protected areas is indefensible (The Guardian view on fishing and nature: bottom-trawling boats don’t belong in conservation zones, 12 September). As David Attenborough has pointed out, dragging weighted nets over sensitive seabeds is like bulldozing a rainforest – obliterating habitats vital for fish, seagrass and countless species. Other European nations are taking action, but Britain’s protections are token at best, covering just three sites. Conservation cannot be a meaningless label; marine protected areas must actually be protected. Healthier oceans benefit everyone, including fishing communities that depend on thriving stocks. If the UK is serious about safeguarding 30% of its waters by 2030, it must stop allowing destructive fishing in areas set aside for nature. Without real action, any claim of ocean stewardship rings hollow.Rick KlinkGuildford, Surrey Months in the making, the environmental audit committee’s 60-page report categorically calls for a whole-site ban on bottom trawling in marine protected areas: 16 MPs and 61 parties contributed to the report, including conservation NGOs, marine scientists and academics (including myself). And yet, despite all the effort, time and expertise put in, the ruling from on high is that the destruction will continue within what are so fraudulently called “protected” areas. Words fail us. Unversed, hubristic civil servants and politicians should be compelled in law to follow scientific advice on marine policy, or be taken out of the decision‑making process altogether – if not, we’ll never be able to protect the sea from ruin.Deborah Rowan WrightBristol Have an opinion on anything you’ve read in the Guardian today? Please email us your letter and it will be considered for publication in our letters section. |