Dr Andrew Forrest welcomes UK commitment to ban bottom trawling in marine protected areas

10 Jun 2025 – Minderoo Foundation has welcomed a UK government proposal to ban bottom trawling across 41 protected areas of English seas spanning 30,000 square kilometres.

At the UN Ocean Conference in Nice, Rt Hon Steve Reed MP, the UK’s Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, committed to banning destructive bottom trawling where it is damaging protected seabed habitats.

The devastating impacts of destructive fishing practices such as bottom trawling were thrusted into the minds of policymakers following last month’s release of the Minderoo-backed film Ocean with David Attenborough.

The film highlights how industrial fishing practices are irreparably damaging ecosystems.

“Sir David’s latest film has been the catalyst for an undeniable shift in momentum to ban bottom trawling in marine protected areas. We must seize this momentum and continue to create awareness,” Dr Andrew Forrest AO said.

“Sir David’s film shows the hideous, wasteful destruction, the short-sightedness of legislators, and the lack of science behind decisions to allow bottom trawling anywhere in the world.

“I congratulate the UK government for having the courage to outlaw these devastating fishing techniques.”

Bottom trawling involves dragging heavy nets through the seabed, devastating the delicate habitats that sea creatures rely on for their survival.

Dr Forrest said he was concerned that Australia’s marine parks still allowed extractive activities, with some marine parks permitting bottom trawling.

“Fisheries ministers need to understand that bottom trawling is akin to bulldozing a rainforest and calling it conservation. Unless Australia and the world adopt real, no-take marine parks, we’re just fooling ourselves.”

Dr Forrest said the decimation of global fisheries was being fuelled by government subsidies that prop up an unprofitable and destructive industry.

“Some 65 per cent of global government support for fisheries risks encouraging overfishing and illegal fishing in the absence of effective management,” he said.

“Some of the most destructive practices like bottom trawling would likely be unprofitable without subsidies.

“As a first step, only 11 more nations need to ratify the WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies, to eliminate subsidies for the most harmful and illegal fishing practices.

“Subsidies will only deplete our fisheries faster, conservation is the only viable way forward for industry and our oceans.”

Secretary Reed said the UK proposal would be a “big step towards meeting our commitment to help protect 30 per cent of the world’s oceans by 2030,” and reiterated the UK’s commitment to ratifying the High Seas Treaty.

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