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Ban on sandeel fishing to support UK’s struggling seabirds
The fishing of sandeels in the UK’s portion of the North Sea will be banned from April.
It’s hoped that the ban will boost seabird populations which are dependent on the fish for a significant part of their diet.
Environmental campaigners have welcomed the news that sandeel fishing is set to be banned in England and Scotland.
The UK and Scottish governments have both announced that their North Sea waters will be closed to all boats targeting sandeel. While an effective ban has been in place for boats from the UK since 2021, the new regulations will expand this to include fishing vessels from other nations as well, including the EU.
As sandeels are important prey for many animals, including haddock, harbour porpoise and puffins, it’s hoped that the ban will help benefit the populations of many North Sea species.
The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), which has campaigned for a ban for decades, welcomed the news.
Beccy Speight, the charity’s chief executive, says, ‘Answering the RSPB’s call to end industrial sandeel fishing, today’s announcement is a vital lifeline from our Government for our seabirds when they need it most.’
‘The UK is home to globally important seabird colonies, but these populations are at the forefront of the nature and climate emergency and are in significant decline, with their resilience being pushed to the limit.’
‘Halting wildlife decline and putting nature on the path to recovery must be supported by a programme of Government actions and today’s announcement represents one of those jigsaw pieces’.
The ban was announced on the one year anniversary of the launch of the Environmental Improvement Plan, which set out how the UK Government plans to restore nature across Britain and Northern Ireland.
Environment Secretary Steve Barclay says, ‘We’ve made a lot of progress since we launched the Environmental Improvement Plan – we’ve planted nearly five million trees, improved public access to our beautiful countryside and accelerated the adoption of our world-leading farming schemes.’
‘We are building on this progress with a new package to safeguard our marine ecosystems and bring us one step closer to achieving our 30x30 target, both on land and sea.’
Sandeels can grow to as much as 30 centimetres long, and is often found in large shoals. Image © D. Kucharski K. Kucharska/Shutterstock.
Why are sandeels important?
Sandeels are a widespread group of fish made up of many different species. While they might look like eels, they aren’t very closely related. Instead, they belong to another group of fishes known as the sand lances.
What they are, however, is very nutritious. They feed on plankton and other small invertebrates, building up fat reserves which make them a tasty target for larger fish, marine mammals and seabirds.
But these same qualities also make them appealing to humans. While they’re not widely eaten by us, sandeels are in demand for their oil and use as animal feed for livestock and farmed salmon.
The main sandeel fisheries in Europe are based in Denmark, which between 2015 and 2019 caught around 257,000 tonnes of the fish in UK waters every year. Though this is a significant decrease from the 1990s, when around a million tonnes of sandeel were caught ever year, there are concerns the levels are still too high.
Lower numbers of sandeels are thought to significantly affect the animals which depend on them. Seabirds are particularly at risk, with the closure of a sandeel fishery off Scotland in the early 2000s resulting in better breeding success for kittiwakes.
It’s hoped that the closure of the UK’s North Sea waters to all sandeel fisheries will lead to similar results for the other seabirds, porpoises and seals which depend on these fish.
Kittiwakes are highly dependent on sandeels, and a lack of these fish can affect their breeding. Image © Katherine Cameron/Shutterstock.
Soils and sea anemones
As well as the ban on sandeel fisheries, the government also announced further measures aimed at boosting biodiversity in the UK.
A new byelaw banning bottom trawling in 13 Marine Protected Areas around the UK will be introduced, including areas off Land’s End, the Isle of Wight and Norfolk among others.
Bottom trawling is particularly problematic for sea fans, sponges and anemones as these fragile species may not be able to regrow after being damaged by nets.
The government also announced which projects across England would receive £7 million to help restore lowland peat soils. Peat is an important carbon store, but has historically been drained to produce agricultural land.
It’s hoped that improving water management across the 34 projects will reduce carbon emissions from these soils and go some way towards tackling climate change.
Tony Juniper, the Chair of Natural England, says, ‘Restoring thriving ecosystems is a vital process, not only for meeting our national nature recovery goals, but also for our food and water security, wellbeing and economic prosperity.’
‘The measures set out by the government today will take us closer to meeting our ambitious 2030 targets, both on land and at sea.’
