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.
Bottom-towed fishing gear should be banned in protected areas, group says
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Bottom-towed fishing gear should be banned in protected areas, group says
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EMBARGOED TO 0001 MONDAY DECEMBER 31..CAN ONLY BE USED IN CONNECTION WITH THE WILDLIFE TRUSTS REVIEW OFTHE YEAR..Undated handout photo issued by The Wildlife Trusts of a short-snouted seahorse. Seahorses, little terns and crawfish are among the
What is this blue belt? Essentially a series of marine protected areas, or marine national parks. The charity the Blue Marine Foundation this week called for the establishment of 10 of these, including one in Argyll and the Islands. They see these as part of a wider “blue belt” protecting marine ecosystems in UK waters across the globe.
Don’t we already have Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in Scotland? Why do we need marine national parks?