Trawl Fishing Ban off Sussex Coast Aims to Restore Seaweed Forests

Damaging trawl fishing has been banned in more than 100 square miles of seabed off Sussex to help once vast kelp forests recover.

A new bylaw has been approved to prohibit trawling year-round over large areas along the entire Sussex coast closest to the shore, to help habitats regenerate and improve fisheries, Sussex Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority (IFCA) said.

Wildlife groups hope that the move, which they said will protect 117 square miles (304 square kilometres) of coastal seabed, will help with “rewilding” the sea by allowing the underwater seaweed forests to regenerate.

It follows a campaign to protect kelp, supported by Sir David Attenborough, who has described the approval of the new bylaw as a “landmark decision” for the management of UK coastal waters.

Read More