Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Why is Greenpeace dropping boulders off the UK coast?

Why is Greenpeace dropping boulders off the UK coast?

Activists have taken to the sea to implore the government to take action on harmful fishing practices.

Activists on a Greenpeace ship have constructed an underwater "boulder barrier" to stop harmful fishing practices in one of UK’s Marine Protected areas.

The environmental group completed the barrier in secret last week. It aims to close off 55 square miles of offshore Brighton, one fifth of its total area, because of threats from destructive bottom trawling. It is hoped that it will obstruct nets from reaching the sea bed and impacting other ocean life.

A previous attempt at a similar boulder barrier protest implored the UK government to close off Dogger Bank and South Dorset’s offshore areas to the harmful fishing practice. At present, the UK government has left 97 per cent of national waters open to this process, Greenpeace says.

British celebrities including Thandie Newton, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, Paloma Faith, Jarvis Cocker and Ranulph Fiennes have put their names to some of the large rocks.

Chef and broadcaster, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall says he is “proud to have had the chance to put my name on one of these boulders”.

Donor names are painted in chalk ahead of the boulder placement aboard the Greenpeace ship, Esperanza in the English Channel.


“However, this shouldn’t be necessary”, he adds. “Our fervent hope is that our government will now turns words into action, paper parks into real conservation, and properly protects our oceans”.

“The government’s move to properly protect just two of the UK’s protected areas barely touches the tip of the iceberg in terms of what is needed to save our oceans”, says Greenpeace oceans campaigner, Chris Thorne.

“All of the UK’s protected areas need real protection, not just a handful. This government is supposed to be showing global leadership on ocean conservation and fighting for 30 per cent of the world’s oceans to be protected, but it can’t even properly protect 30 per cent of our own waters”.

The initiative will help prevent destructive bottom trawling which destroys the Offshore Brighton Marine Protected Area's seabed.

How bottom trawling impacts our oceans


Bottom trawling is a fishing practice that involves dragging heavily weighted nets across the seafloor in order to catch huge quantities of fish. It is used commonly in commercial fishing for this reason. It has been called the sea-equivalent of deforestation.

Greenpeace takes issue with this method because it is “indiscriminate” in what is caught, creating an enormous impact on the biodiversity of oceans.

In warmer countries such as New Zealand, this can have a disproportionate impact on coral and turtle populations. Just last year the New Zealand trawling destroyed up to 3,000 tonnes of deep sea corals.

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Hungary Ranked Among the World’s Safest Travel Destinations for 2025
G7 Leaders Fail to Reach Consensus on Key Global Issues
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Shock Within Iran’s Leadership: Khamenei’s Failed Plan to Launch 1,000 Missiles Against Israel
Wreck of $17 Billion San José Galleon Identified Off Colombia After 300 Years
Man Convicted of Fraud After Booking Over 120 Free Flights Posing as Flight Attendant
Iran Launches Extensive Missile Attack on Israel Following Israeli Strikes on Nuclear Sites
Beata Thunberg Rebrands as Beata Ernman Amidst Sister's Activism Controversy
Hungarian Parliament Approves Citizenship Suspension Law
Prime Minister Orbán Criticizes EU's Ukraine Accession Plans
Hungarian Delicacies Introduced to Japanese Market
Hungary's Industrial Output Rises Amid Battery Sector Slump
President Sulyok Celebrates 15 Years of Hungarian Unity Efforts
Hungary's Szeleczki Shines at World Judo Championships
Visegrád Construction Trends Diverge as Hungary Lags
Hungary Hosts National Quantum Technology Workshop
Hungarian Animation Featured at Annecy Festival
Israel Issues Ultimatum to Iran Over Potential Retaliation and Nuclear Facilities
UK and EU Reach New Economic Agreement
Coinbase CEO Warns Bitcoin Could Supplant US Dollar Amid Mounting National Debt
Trump to Iran: Make a Deal — Sign or Die
Operation "Like a Lion": Israel Strikes Iran in Unprecedented Offensive
Israel Launches 'Operation Rising Lion' Targeting Iranian Nuclear and Military Sites
UK and EU Reach Agreement on Gibraltar's Schengen Integration
Israeli Finance Minister Imposes Banking Penalties on Palestinians
U.S. Inflation Rises to 2.4% in May Amid Trade Tensions
Trump's Policies Prompt Decline in Chinese Student Enrollment in U.S.
Global Oceans Near Record Temperatures as CO₂ Levels Climb
Trump Announces U.S.-China Trade Deal Covering Rare Earths
Smuggled U.S. Fuel Funds Mexican Cartels Amid Crackdown
Austrian School Shooting Leaves Nine Dead in Graz
Bezos's Lavish Venice Wedding Sparks Local Protests
Europe Prepares for Historic Lunar Rover Landing
Italian Parents Seek Therapy Amid Lengthy School Holidays
British Fishing Vessel Seized by France Fined €30,000
Dutch Government Collapses Amid Migration Policy Dispute
UK Commits to 3.5% GDP Defence Spending Under NATO Pressure
Germany Moves to Expedite Migrant Deportations
US Urges UK to Raise Defence Spending to 5% of GDP
Israeli Forces Intercept Gaza-Bound Aid Vessel Carrying Greta Thunberg
IMF Warns of Severe Global Trade War Impacts on Emerging Markets
Low Turnout Jeopardizes Italy's Citizenship Reform Referendum
Transatlantic Interest Rate Divergence Widens as Trump Pressures Powell
EU Lawmaker Calls for Broader Exemptions in Supply Chain Legislation
France's Defense Spending Plans Threatened by High National Debt
European Small-Cap Stocks Outperform U.S. Rivals Amid Growth Revival
Switzerland Proposes $26 Billion Capital Increase for UBS
×