Supertrawlers ‘making a mockery’ of UK’s protected seas

Vast vessels spent almost 3,000 hours fishing in officially protected areas in 2019

Supertrawlers spent almost 3,000 hours fishing in UK marine protected areas in 2019, making a mockery of the word protected'," according to campaigners.

Supertrawlers are those over 100 metres in length and can catch hundreds of tonnes of fish every day, using nets up to a mile long. A Greenpeace investigation revealed that the 25 supertrawlers included the four biggest in the world and fished in 39 different marine protected areas (MPAs).