Fishing industry still ‘bulldozing’ seabed in 90% of UK marine protected areas

Starfish and anemones at Dogger Bank in the North Sea, where a ban on bottom-trawling will shortly take effect. The harmful practice continues at 58 other sites. Photograph: JNCC/PA

More than 90% of Britain’s offshore marine protected areas are still being bottom-trawled and dredged, two years after analysis of the extent of destructive fishing exposed them as “paper parks”, according to data shared with the Guardian.

The UK’s network of marine parks, set up to safeguard vulnerable areas of the seabed and marine life, is a cornerstone of the government’s target to protect 30% of ocean biodiversity by 2030.