CAMPAIGNERS are calling on the UK government to commit to banning harmful trawl fishing in marine protected areas.
Greenpeace has launched a six-month operation with its new vessel Sea Beaver to patrol the UK’s protected areas off the Sussex, documenting and taking action to stop destructive fishing.
At an event held on Thursday at the bandstand on Brighton seafront, people were asked to support the environmental group’s latest campaign and sign its petition against supertrawler activity.
Hundreds of origami fish containing messages about the importance of caring for our oceans were also made at the event.
The organisation said the paper creations will be delivery to parliament in mid-September.
Greenpeace member Becky Ward, who lives in Elm Grove, Brighton said: “We spoke to hundreds of local people who are on board with the need for the UK Government to ban destructive fishing from UK Marine Protected Areas.
“We also heard lots of stories of people’s memories of the seaside and how a ban would revive hard hit coastal communities.”
Greenpeace said its Operation Ocean Witness, which will operate out of Newhaven until autumn, will document destructive fishing practices still permitted in UK seas and the wildlife in the oceans, and engage with fishing communities along the south coast.
Greenpeace oceans campaigner Chris Thorne accused the Government of calling itself a “global ocean champion while allowing destructive industrial fishing vessels to operate freely in our protected areas”.
“We’ve heard enough rhetoric, which is why we’re launching Operation Ocean Witness.
“We will do our Government’s job for them, holding the most destructive fishing vessels to account and making sure our government can’t hide the destruction taking place in our oceans, which so often remains beyond the horizon and out of sight for most of the public.”
He called on the government to deliver on its promise to better protect the UK’s seas after Brexit, adding: “A world-leading network of marine protected areas, where all bottom trawlers and supertrawlers are banned, would revive our seas and coastal communities, unify our divided nation and make Britain a genuine leader in marine protection.”
A Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs spokesman said: “We are committed to achieving a healthy and sustainable marine environment.
“Now we have left the EU, the Marine Management Organisation is consulting on additional safeguards for four of our precious marine protected areas, including banning activities that harm wildlife or damage habitats.”
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