P-06-1547 Sea bottom trawling is killing our marine wildlife...Stop bulldozing our marine wildlife!

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This petition was submitted by Robert Curtis, having collected a total of 297 signatures.

Text of petition:

Sir David Attenborough's latest documentary, Oceans, highlights the fact that a shocking 97% of our marine protected areas (MPA), created to safeguard ocean habitats, are being destroyed by being dredged and bottom trawled.

We call on the Welsh Government to ban all forms of bottom trawling by both foreign and UK vessels in Welsh waters. We are in an ecological emergency and need action now.

Additional information:

If we do not take action now, we will have no chance of stopping the shocking loss of biodiversity or mitigate the impacts of climate change.

This widespread fishing practice involves dragging heavy metal nets along the seabed, effectively bulldozing all sea life before it!

New research has revealed that this system of fishing pumps out one gigaton of carbon every year. This carbon is released from the seabed sediment into the water, and can increase ocean acidification, as well as adversely affecting productivity and biodiversity. Marine sediments are the largest pool of carbon storage in the world. In fact fishing boats that trawl the ocean floor release as much carbon dioxide as the entire aviation industry!

There can be no place for bottom trawling in a modern nature friendly Wales!

Status

This petition was considered completed by the Petitions Committee at its meeting on 12/01/2026. 

Full details of the consideration of this petition by the Committee and related documents can be seen on the Meetings tab above. 

It was first considered by the Petitions Committee on 06/10/2025. 

Senedd Constituency and Region

• Vale of Glamorgan
• South Wales Central

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