With new analysis of satellite data from non-profit Global Fishing Watch (GFW) finding that over 100,000 hours of apparent industrial fishing took place within the United Kingdom’s offshore marine protected areas (MPAs) in 2023, oceans campaign group Oceana UK is calling for “decisive political action on destructive fishing”. 

Ahead of this year’s UK general election, Oceana is urging all political parties to commit to a complete ban on bottom trawling across all MPAs, advising that according to a poll that it conducted, more than three-quarters of the UK public support such a ban.