The UK government has finally announced its plan to ban destructive bottom trawling in parts of 41 UK Marine Protected Areas! While this is not a total ban, it is a great victory for some of the UK's most precious underwater habitats, beloved sea creatures and small-scale fishing communities.
The UK's Environment secretary has announced plans to ban bottom trawling from 41 protected areas within English seas, spanning some 30,000km2 to “conserve the vulnerable underwater life” and allow for recovery from the destructive practice.
According to a poll, eight in 10 adults in the UK (81%) think bottom-trawl fishing should be banned in marine protected areas. At the same time, Sweden and Greece are the first countries in the EU to declare a ban on bottom trawling.
It is not permitted to fish from a moving boat (also known as trolling) unless the boat is being rowed. Follow any local signage present, for example around restrictions or safety notices (such as overhead wires).
United States. More than half of the seafloor in US federal waters is now off-limits to bottom trawling. This is especially true along the West Coast, where important fish habitat designations prohibit trawling across large areas of the Pacific.
Bottom trawling: Are the UK government's fishing licences illegal?
Will trawling be banned?
Government proposes to extend ban on destructive bottom trawling. Government proposals to ban bottom trawling in more vulnerable marine habitats aim to protect important and rare underwater life.
(B) The exposed bedrock of a trawled seamount. Both are 1,000–2,000 metres (3,300–6,600 ft) below the surface. The Secretary General of the United Nations reported in 2006 that 95 percent of damage to seamount ecosystems worldwide is caused by deep sea bottom trawling.
What fish are caught by bottom trawling in the UK?
Bottom trawls (light otter trawls and beam trawls) are used to target a variety of fish species including cuttlefish, sole, plaice, squid, skate and rays, throughout Lyme Bay, Weymouth Bay, Poole Bay and in the Solent.
Defenses Against Criminal Charges for Online Trolling
Freedom of Speech: Highlighting that the comments were an exercise of First Amendment rights, provided they did not incite violence or cause genuine fear.
Is it illegal to fish with barbed hooks in the UK?
You can fish with plug-type lures with up to 3 separate single hooks, but none can be more than 13mm in gape. All hooks must be barbless or de-barbed. If you are using artificial fly, shrimp bait or prawn bait, you may use multiple hooks. But you must not use more than 4 hook points in total.
Trawling destroys the natural seafloor habitat by essentially rototilling the seabed. All of the bottom-dwelling plants and animals are affected, if not outright destroyed, by tearing up root systems or animal burrows. Resuspending bottom sediment changes the entire chemistry of the water, including nutrient levels.
The Republic of Ireland and Spain were named as having the worst records for exceeding agreed fishing limits. The European Commission`s latest fisheries "scoreboard" reveals that illegal overfishing, blamed for the failure of dwindling stocks to recover despite years of fishing limits, is still a major problem.
Why do fisheries use bottom trawling gears? Bottom trawling is an efficient way to catch large quantities of fish and shellfish that live on the sea floor, which are needed to feed a growing global population. Around a quarter of all wild-caught seafood is caught via this method every year.
Recreational sea angling does not require a licence. You need to follow national and local byelaws regarding close seasons, fish size, catch limits, bait and tackle you can use - these may vary in different Environment Agency areas.
The Scottish Government has ruled out a blanket ban on dredging or bottom trawling, despite repeated calls from campaigners for stronger action on the impacts of towed gear.
Sweden and Greece have already pledged to ban or strongly restrict bottom trawling in Marine Protected Areas - so momentum is building. ClientEarth is calling on all European countries to fully enforce the law and stop destructive bottom trawling in MPAs.
Trolling is a form of baiting online which involves sending abusive and hurtful comments across all social media platforms. This can be prosecuted under the Malicious Communication Act 1988 and the Communications Act 2003.
Many people recommend you simply ignore trolls and don't respond in any way, but this gives the trolls even more power as it gives them the power to silence you.
Victims should consider whether they wish to make a report to the Police. Unfortunately, however, the Police are often overstretched and under-resourced, and online crime of this nature is sometimes not seen as a priority. In those circumstances you may want to take civil action against the person concerned.
Vendace (coregonus albula) is the UK's rarest freshwater fish and a relic of the ice age. Its UK habitat is in Derwentwater and like lamprey, Arctic charr, spined loach, allis shad, twaite shad and smelt, it is an international conservation priority.
The vast majority of langoustine are caught by bottom-trawling. This method of fishing involves nets being dragged across the seabed. The nets disrupt the seabed burrows of the langoustines, catching the small crustaceans and any other marine life that cannot escape them.
What is the difference between trawling and bottom trawling?
Midwater trawling is also known as pelagic trawling. Midwater trawling catches pelagic fish, whereas bottom trawling targets both bottom-living fish (groundfish) and semi-pelagic fish. The gear itself can vary a great deal.
As with most species of pelagic fish, trolling is a popular way of targeting kingfish. The major advantage of trolling is that you cover lots of ground. Like any pelagic fish, kingfish – particularly in large numbers – can turn on a frenetic bite where just about anything thrown at them will draw a response.
Then you have clear water 45 foot visibility. This is where you do not want to fish. Anything deeper than 25 feet of water is not a good area. I have caught fish deeper than these maximum depths in all of these water visibilities, but that's definitely an exception to the rule.
A carefully rigged bait with a weighted chin that is trolled at 4-5 knots will entice Spanish mackerel to bite and will often out fish other methods on a given day. The good thing about trolling dead baits is that bigger bait often results in a bigger fish.
