Greenpeace today (7th December) welcomed the findings of a major investigation by the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution (RCEP) into the environmental effects of marine fisheries.
Greenpeace urged the government to include key recommendations from the report - such as the creation of large-scale marine reserves within five years - in their forthcoming Marine Bill.
The group also urged the government to restrict destructive fishing practices like bottom trawling, a method of fishing which ploughs up the ocean floor.
Oliver Knowles, Greenpeace oceans campaigner, said:
"The continuous trashing the North Sea has taken for years is a perfect example of just how badly wrong the government has got marine management. What was once one of the world's most productive seas is today one of the most degraded in the world.
"To protect the fragile seas around the UK, large scale marine reserves must be created and destructive fishing techniques, like bottom trawling, must be outlawed.
"This authoritative investigation by the Royal Commission has provided all the information needed to act. What is now required is the political will from government not to cave in to business lobbying. If this means substantial public support for a fishing industry in transition, the money must be found. We urge them to adopt these measures in their forthcoming Marine Bill."
In 2004 the Greenpeace ship Esperanza carried out key expeditions in:
Further information
Download a copy of the Greenpeace report, 'Rescuing the North and Baltic Seas: Marine Reserves - a key tool'.
For more information, call the Greenpeace press office on 020 7865 8255.
