Marine Life & Conservation
Climate solutions must include ban on bottom trawling in Marine Protected Areas, says Marine Conservation Society
A new report from the Marine Conservation Society, Marine unProtected Areas, has found that bottom trawling is taking place in 98% of the UK’s offshore Marine Protected Areas intended to protect vital seabed habitats.
The yearlong study by experts at the Marine Conservation Society assessed fishing activity in the UK’s offshore Marine Protected Areas. As a result of the report, the Marine Conservation Society is calling for a ban on bottom trawling in these protected areas.
Bottom trawling not only destroys vital underwater habitats but also churns up the seafloor and releases carbon into the ocean and, potentially, the atmosphere. It’s estimated that carbon emissions released by bottom trawling across the UK continental shelf between 2016 and 2040 could cost up to £9 billion to mitigate in other areas of the economy.
Out of all the UK’s Marine Protected Areas, just 5% currently ban bottom trawling. Continuing to allow this fishing method in areas intended to protect the seabed is equivalent to bulldozing a national park on land.
The Marine Conservation Society’s research found that fishing activity inside protected areas continues unabated:
- All but one of the offshore Marine Protected Areas designated to protect the seabed experienced bottom trawling and dredging between 2015 and 2018
- Areas of seabed later designated as MPAs in 2019, experienced the highest rates of fishing between 2015 and 18. There are no fishing restrictions inside these MPAs so nothing is in place to stop this level of fishing from continuing
- Bottom trawl and dredge vessels spent at least 89,894 hours fishing the seabed inside Marine Protected Areas between 2015 and 2018.
Much of the carbon stored in the UK’s seafloor (93%) is found in the muddy and sandy sediments mainly in offshore waters where there are no trawling restrictions. As the seabed is trawled, with fishing gear dragging along the sea floor, carbon stored there is released into the water, where it can make its way into the atmosphere and could ultimately contribute to climate change.
Dr Jean-Luc Solandt, Principal Specialist in Marine Protected Areas at the Marine Conservation Society said: “Our research shows that Marine Protected Areas aren’t protecting our marine habitats. While bottom trawling is still allowed we will continue to release more carbon from the seafloor and prevent complex carbon storing habitats from recovering. In order to battle the climate emergency there has to be limits on where fishing of this kind can take place.
“We’ve been calling for adequate protections for UK seas for more than a decade, to protect and recover our degraded marine life, with very few results. With the introduction of the new Fisheries Act, bottom trawling must be banned in Marine Protected Areas that are designed to protect the seabed. Without a ban on this form of fishing, these areas of our seas simply aren’t recovering and we’re missing a crucial opportunity to combat climate change and ensure there are indeed plenty more fish in the sea.”
A complete ban of bottom trawling in Marine Protected Areas is proven to be effective; within five years of protection from bottom trawling, animals in three UK and Isle of Man Marine Protected Areas were found to be larger and more diverse. When areas of sea around the world were fully protected, biodiversity was found to increase by an average of 21%. Alongside flora and fauna bouncing back, carbon stores are left undisturbed and are able to build back up, as new life emerges on the seabed.
To date, agreeing fisheries management measures for offshore Marine Protected Areas through an EU consultation and evidence gathering process has been complicated by changing dynamics between other EU member states and the UK. Now, with the powers provided by the Fisheries Act 2020, the UK Governments can act more independently to recover our seas and combat climate change.
Read the Marine Conservation Society’s summary report here. For more information on the charity’s Marine Protected Area work, visit the website here.
Header Image: Curled octopus (Eledone cirrhosa) amongst a horse mussel bed (Modiolus modiolus) Shetland, Scotland, UK, August. Photographer: SCOTLAND:The Big Picture
This holiday period, the Marine Conservation Society, the UK’s leading ocean membership charity, invites you to make some simple changes to eating fish this Christmas to help our seas.
Dr Kenneth Bodles, Head of Fisheries and Aquaculture at the Marine Conservation Society, said, “During the festive season, our consumption increases, but so does waste. Sustainability isn’t just about where food comes from – it’s also about how you use it. By reducing waste and making the most out of your seafood, you’re not only taking steps to be more ocean-friendly, but can also help to cut costs during what is often one of the most expensive times of the year”.
The Marine Conservation Society has compiled twelve tips on how to consume seafood sustainably with zero-waste this Christmas:
Buy whole fish instead of fillets
Instead of fillets, consider buying whole fish such as salmon, hake, or lemon sole. By adopting a “nose to tail” approach with cooking, whole-baked fish not only feeds a crowd, but also helps to minimise waste and maximise sustainability by using up every part of the animal, including bones, skin, and fat.
Make fish stock
Leftover fish bones or shells can be put to good use by boiling them to make a nourishing fish stock or bisque. This can be frozen and preserved for later use and makes for a flavourful base in a soup.
Make your own fish pâté
Avoid waste by turning leftover fish, such as smoked mackerel or salmon, into a delicious pâté by blending with cream cheese and lemon. Perfect when paired with crackers.
The sustainability of salmon and mackerel varies depending on where and how it is caught or farmed. For more information on green-rated options, check the charity’s Good Fish Guide.
Buy frozen
By purchasing seafood that is frozen or vacuum-packed, this helps to reduce waste by extending the shelf life of your food.
Fish pie
If you’re wondering what to do with leftover cooked fish, why not opt for a classic fish pie with mashed potatoes, leeks, and a cheesy sauce? A sure crowd pleaser on Boxing Day.
Use the head
Don’t forget the fish head! The meat is incredibly tender and flavourful. The charity recommends a cod’s head curry or recreating Fallow’s renowned cod’s head in siracha butter.
By stretching your ingredients further, not only is this a more sustainable way to enjoy seafood, but also cost-effective by repurposing leftovers and cooking creatively.
Boxing Day brunch
Mix leftover kippers or smoked salmon with scrambled eggs for a tasty, zero-waste, Boxing Day brunch.
For best choice, make sure you buy kippers, or herring, from the North Sea and the North Irish Sea.
Zero-waste storage
A top tip from the Marine Conservation Society to avoid waste is freezing fish offcuts to save for future use.
Crisp up the skin
Even leftover fish skin can be turned into a quick savoury snack by crisping it up in an air fryer with a little olive oil and salt.
Anchovies two ways
Leftover anchovies can either be blended with butter to make a delicious anchovy butter or tossed into pasta for a hit of umami flavour.
The charity recommends opting for anchovies caught in the Bay of Biscay for best choice.
Fishcakes
For an easy, zero-waste meal, leftover seafood trimmings can be mixed with mash and fried in breadcrumbs to make fishcakes.
Pickled mussels
Try pickling mussels in 1:1 vinegar and water, with a dash of sugar for a sustainable, zero-waste snack that can be enjoyed well beyond the festive season.
Mussels farmed in the UK are a seafood superhero. Grown using low-impact methods and harvested by hand, they get all the food they need from the sea around them. This makes them one of the most sustainable, ocean-friendly, and cost-effective seafood options.
Players of People’s Postcode Lottery have raised £6.6M towards the Marine Conservation Society’s vital work in making seafood more sustainable.
Laura Chow, Head of Charities at People’s Postcode Lottery, said: “Fish is a festive favourite for many, but making sustainable choices when it comes to how we buy and eat seafood makes all the difference for our ocean. Support from players of People’s Postcode Lottery has helped the Marine Conservation Society further its sustainable seafood work, so that we can all enjoy healthier, better protected seas.”
The Marine Conservation Society encourages you to make sustainable seafood choices a year-round habit, not just for Christmas. To check how sustainable the seafood on your plate is, you can visit the charity’s Good Fish Guide. The Guide helps consumers and businesses identify the most sustainable seafood using a simple traffic light system, based on where and how species are caught or farmed. Green is the best choice, amber means improvements are needed, and red indicates fish to avoid buying.
Zero-waste gift idea
Why not embrace a zero-waste Christmas by gifting a membership to support marine conservation? It’s a meaningful, low-waste gift that helps protect our ocean for generations to come. Memberships start from as little as £5 a month – the price of a sandwich and drink from your local coffee shop.
Find the latest sustainable seafood advice for wild-caught and farmed seafood on the Good Fish Guide, downloadable to your phone from www.mcsuk.org/goodfishguide.
After a two-year tour of UK art galleries, community spaces and aquariums, the Shark Trust’s acclaimed Oceanic31 exhibition takes its final bow at the Royal Geographical Society later this month. And the unique collection of artwork, depicting 31 species of oceanic sharks and rays, donated by 31 artists, is now open for bids from art lovers and shark enthusiasts. The online auction, launched today, will close on the 7th December at 8pm (BST). The money raised will support the Shark Trust Oceanics Programme.
People can now bid on 27 of the artworks by visiting this website:
https://superstars-auctions.com/sharktrustauction
It is a chance to own a beautiful piece of original art and to support the Shark Trust. The timing of the auction also means that these would make a very special Christmas gift for any shark-lover.
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- Bigeye Thresher Shark by Janina Rossiter
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- Carcharodon carcharias by Jimmy Higgs
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- Croc VR 2030 by Tom Mead
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- Oceanic Whitetip by ATM
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- Silky Street by ScapaJoe
The diversity of pieces mirrors that of the sharks and rays they represent. You can bid on paintings, digital creations, sculptures, mixed media and more. You can pick your favourite artist or species of shark. Or you can select the perfect artwork to make a statement in your home or office. Whichever you choose, you will be supporting the work to protect these amazing animals.
One of the pieces of art has been selected to be auctioned live by Steve Backshall at the For the Love of Sharks event at the Royal Geographical Society in London on the 29th November. In addition to this, two further pieces will be raffled at this event, giving people a chance to win an incredible piece of shark art. For the Love of Sharks is the Shark Trust’s flagship evening. A night to celebrate sharks. Steve Backshall is the headline speaker at this event that will see other prominent shark advocates join him on stage.
Tickets for the event can be snapped up here:
https://thesharktrust.org.uk/Event/flos24
Those that would like to see the Oceanic 31 exhibition have one final chance. It is being displayed at the Pavilion at the Royal Geographic Society from 26th November until the 7th December. Entry is free.
Find out more here:
https://www.rgs.org/events/upcoming-events/oceanic-31
Paul Cox, Shark Trust CEO, Said “This exhibition has given us the opportunity to reach out to a new audience. And inspire more people with the wonderful sharks and rays on which our Big Shark Pledge campaign is based. We are immensely grateful to the 31 artists who have worked so hard to create these works.”
Bid for your favourite Oceanic 31 artwork here:
https://superstars-auctions.com/sharktrustauction
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