Petition · Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Introduce targeted coastal trawling bans to protect ecosystems & reduce erosion
Open for signatures
141 signatures
What the petition asks
We call on the Government to establish 0–6 nautical mile exclusion zones for bottom-contact fishing in key UK coastal areas. We think this will allow kelp and seagrass recovery, strengthen natural defences like saltmarsh and dunes, and reduce coastal erosion and flood risk sustainably.
Seabed disturbance from bottom trawling can increase turbidity, destabilise sediments, and undermine nature-based defences. There is evidence showing passive recovery after trawling bans outperforms planting alone, protecting coasts at lower cost than repeated restoration or hard-engineered defences. We think targeted bans will benefit ecosystems, fisheries, and coastal communities while adapting to climate change.
Timeline
| 23 Mar 2026 | Petition opened for signatures |
Key facts
Signatures
141
Status
Open for signatures
Department
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Opened
23 Mar 2026
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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 26 Jul 2026.