Greenpeace activists have built a new underwater boulder barrier in a protected area of the English Channel to stop a hugely harmful fishing practice.
In total 18 boulders, each weighing about three tonnes and carrying the name of a celebrity endorser, were dropped this week from the Greenpeace ship Esperanza in the Offshore Brighton marine protected area (MPA).
Collectively the boulders have closed off nearly 55 square nautical miles of Offshore Brighton MPA – one fifth of the site s total area – from bottom trawling.
The contentious fishing practice – which Greenpeace equates to driving a bulldozer across national parks on land – involves heavy nets being dragged across seabeds to collect fish and shellfish.
Updated
Friday, 26th February 2021, 10:04 am
Inert granite boulders are being placed into the English Channel as part of a new bottom trawler exclusion zone in the Offshore Brighton Marine Protected Area. The initiative will help prevent destructive bottom trawling which destroys the Offshore Brighton Marine Protected Area s protected seabed. Photo: Suzanne Plunkett/Greenpeace
The barrier has been created in the Offshore Brighton marine protected area in the English Channel, which the organisation said was one of the UK’s most heavily bottom trawled protected areas.
The boulders, dropped by activists aboard the Greenpeace ship Esperanza, will close 55 square nautical miles of Offshore Brighton – one fifth of its total area – to bottom trawling.
Greenpeace builds boulder barrier to protect marine site from fishing | Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard wiltsglosstandard.co.uk - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from wiltsglosstandard.co.uk Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Published: 26 Feb 2021, 12:16
By:
Reporter, Solar Power Portal
Chancellor Rishi Sunak has been called on to continue the Green Homes Grant ahead of next week s Budget. Image: HM Treasury
Further calls have come in ahead of next week’s Budget for the Chancellor to not curtail the Green Homes Grant scheme.
This latest letter has been signed by 19 organisations representing or working within the energy efficiency and low carbon heat sector, including Solar Energy UK, the Association for Decentralised Energy (ADE), the National Insulation Association, the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) and the Association for Renewable Energy and Clean Technology (REA).
It stated that premature closure of the Green Homes Grant Scheme would “put jobs in jeopardy, dash the dreams of homeowners and put the UK’s net zero target at significant risk”. This follows reports that the scheme - which is designed to provide vouchers for green home technologies such as solar the
Government urged to target 40GW solar capacity by 2030 businessgreen.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from businessgreen.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.