Bottom-towed fishing gear should be banned in protected areas, group says
Scottish inshore fishermen at work off the east coast near Bass rock (David Cheskin/PA)
An ocean conservation group is calling on the Scottish Government to ban bottom-towed fishing gear in the country’s marine protected areas (MPAs).
Oceana say all but two of Scotland’s 24 offshore benthic MPAs were damaged by the practice during more than 44,000 fishing hours recorded last year.
The group says its analysis also suggests about 300 large bottom-trawlers and dredgers “plough Scotland’s protected seabed on a near daily basis”.
Only the deep-sea Hatton-Rockall Basin and Hatton Bank MPAs, far off the west coast, were not bottom-trawled.
By Gregor Young
It has been claimed that 300 large bottom-trawlers and dredgers plough Scotland’s protected seabed on a near daily basis AN ocean conservation group is calling on the Scottish Government to ban bottom-towed fishing gear in the country’s marine protected areas (MPAs). Oceana say all but two of Scotland’s 24 offshore benthic MPAs were damaged by the practice during more than 44,000 fishing hours recorded last year. The group says its analysis also suggests about 300 large bottom-trawlers and dredgers “plough Scotland’s protected seabed on a near daily basis”. Only the deep-sea Hatton-Rockall Basin and Hatton Bank MPAs, far off the west coast, were not bottom-trawled.