Ban bottom trawling in Marine Protected Areas and protect 30% of UK sea

Rejected 10 signatures

What the petition asks

Fully ban bottom-towed fishing gear in all UK Marine Protected Areas. Enforce protections and expand them to cover at least 30% of UK waters by 2030, in line with the UK’s global environmental commitments

Bottom trawling destroys seabed habitats, releases carbon, and harms marine biodiversity. Over 90% of UK Marine Protected Areas still allow it. The UK has pledged to protect 30% of oceans by 2030, but most MPAs lack effective enforcement. We need real action: ban bottom-towed gear in all MPAs and extend proper protection to 30% of UK seas. This will help restore marine life, cut carbon emissions, and support sustainable fishing and coastal communities.

Why it was rejected

There was already a petition about this issue. Duplicates are rejected so signatures collect in one place.

You may wish to sign the following petition, which calls for similar action:

Ban Trawling in All Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in UK waters
Ban Trawling in All Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in UK waters

Timeline

8 Jun 2025	Petition opened for signatures
23 Jun 2025	Rejected by the Petitions Committee

Key facts

Signatures 10

Status Rejected

Rejected 23 Jun 2025

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