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Greenpeace activists create ‘boulder barrier’ in North Sea to deter industrial fishing

By · Via The Guardian Business · Published by Everything Blog

In short

The intervention in the Southern North Sea marine protected area seeks to safeguard a region that supports nearly a fifth of the UK North Sea harbour porpoise population. Although established to protect these animals and their prey, the zone permitted bottom trawlers to log over 37,200 fishing hours in 2025 alone. Campaigners intend to patrol the newly declared ocean park to keep industrial vessels away from the seabed.

Key points

  • Direct physical intervention closed 116 square kilometres of protected marine habitat to…: Direct physical intervention closed 116 square kilometres of protected marine habitat to industrial bottom trawlers.
  • Heavy fishing activities continue to operate daily across marine areas that lack formal g…: Heavy fishing activities continue to operate daily across marine areas that lack formal gear restrictions.
  • Politicians including Labour MP Kerry McCarthy are demanding a comprehensive ban on botto…: Politicians including Labour MP Kerry McCarthy are demanding a comprehensive ban on bottom trawling within protected UK waters.

Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1

Greenpeace activists have dropped boulders in the North Sea to snag the dragnets of industrial trawlers fishing in a marine protected area.

Activists onboard the Greenpeace ship Arctic Sunrise dropped the giant stones to form an underwater barrier around the Southern North Sea marine protected area (MPA) – the UK’s most bottom-trawled MPA.

The Southern North Sea is an area of importance for harbour porpoises, supporting nearly 20% of the UK North Sea population. But despite its MPA status, there are no restrictions on fishing in most of it. Bottom trawlers, dredgers and other industrial fishing vessels scour it daily.

Bottom trawlers logged more than 37,200 fishing hours in the protected zone in 2025, an act akin to “a bulldozer tearing through a treasured national park”, Greenpeace UK said.

“Hulking great ships prowl the sea day after day, stripping it of fish and killing precious wildlife like porpoises, sharks and sea birds,” said Will McCallum, the campaign organisation’s co-executive director. “With our ship and a movement behind us, we’re doing what the government isn’t: protecting our seas.”

The “boulder barrier”…

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