Greenpeace has dropped nine boulders off the east coast of England, saying the barrier disrupts bottom trawling by fishing vessels. The group's ship, Arctic Sunrise, released the rocks off the Norfolk coast over the weekend without a licence before mooring in Great Yarmouth. Greenpeace claimed the action had “effectively closed 116 sq km (45 sq miles) of the Southern North Sea Marine Protected Area (MPA) to bottom trawling”.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said activities at sea should be carried out lawfully. A spokesperson said: "We have strict legislation in place to protect our marine environment while supporting sustainable fishing and coastal communities."
The spokesperson added that all Marine Protected Areas are safeguarded by legislation, with damaging fishing activities banned in more than 100 sites, and that the department is considering further restrictions where there may be benefits in doing so.
Bottom trawling involves dragging weighted nets along the seabed to catch fish, a method that can harm underwater vegetation. The Southern North Sea MPA covers an area stretching from north of Dogger Bank, due east of Tyneside, to the Straits of Dover in the south.
Greenpeace said dropping the boulders was a "last resort" for the organisation, and that it did not have a licence. It said that after years of meeting politicians and the government to try to protect marine protected areas, progress had been "at a glacial pace".
The group added that bottom trawling could leave harbour porpoises, marine mammals found all over the UK's coast, with low fish stocks to feed on, and that the noise of trawling disrupted the animals' ability to hunt. It said the MPA had been designated to protect the porpoise.
Greenpeace also said that after dropping the two-tonne boulders it called "the authorities to tell them the coordinates of each placement, and they update maps to inform other vessels".
It is not the first time the campaigners have used the tactic. In 2022, activists dropped 18 boulders off the coast of Cornwall. After that action, the Marine Management Organisation, the government body responsible for managing coastal waters, said: "As England's marine regulator, we are very disappointed that Greenpeace has chosen to take this action to drop boulders to form a barrier, as we don't believe it is justified or will help protect our marine environment."
Analysis
Why This Matters
- The Southern North Sea MPA is a test case for whether marine protections are enforced in practice, not just written into law, and both sides are now arguing over the same designation.
- The drop raises the question of who controls the seabed: a campaign group acted without a licence and says it informed the authorities of the coordinates, while Defra says activities at sea must be lawful.
- Fishing vessels working the Southern North Sea, and the communities that depend on them, face a physical obstacle that Greenpeace says will change where trawling can take place.
Background
Greenpeace is an international environmental campaigning organisation known for direct action at sea, and has previously used boulders to obstruct bottom trawling in UK waters. Bottom trawling is a widely used commercial fishing method that conservation groups and scientists have long criticised for disturbing seabed habitats. The UK designates marine protected areas to limit damaging activities within them, with enforcement handled by regulators such as the Marine Management Organisation, and the question of how strictly fishing restrictions inside those sites are applied has been contested for years.
Key Perspectives
Greenpeace: says it dropped the boulders without a licence as a "last resort" after years of meetings with politicians and the government produced progress "at a glacial pace", and claims the barrier has effectively closed 116 sq km of the Southern North Sea MPA to bottom trawling.
Defra: said "activities at sea should be carried out lawfully and with due regard for the safety of other sea users", pointing to legislation protecting marine protected areas, bans on damaging fishing in more than 100 sites, and further restrictions under consideration.
Marine Management Organisation: said after Greenpeace's 2022 boulder drop off Cornwall that it was "very disappointed" and did not believe the action was justified or would help protect the marine environment.
What to Watch
- Whether the Marine Management Organisation or Defra take enforcement action over the unlicensed drop.
- Whether Defra's consideration of further fishing restrictions in marine protected areas produces concrete measures.
- Whether the published coordinates change trawling patterns inside the Southern North Sea MPA.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 12 supported.
Show each claim
- SupportedGreenpeace dropped boulders off the Norfolk coast to disrupt bottom trawling.BBC News: “Greenpeace has dropped nine boulders off the east coast of England to create a barrier that disrupts bottom trawling by fishing vessels. The environmental campaigners' ship, Arctic Sunrise, sailed off the Norfolk coast to release the rocks”
- SupportedGreenpeace dropped nine boulders.BBC News: “Greenpeace has dropped nine boulders off the east coast of England”
- SupportedThe rocks were released over the weekend without a licence, and the ship later moored in Great Yarmouth.BBC News: “Arctic Sunrise, sailed off the Norfolk coast to release the rocks without a licence over the weekend before mooring in Great Yarmouth.”
- SupportedGreenpeace claimed it had “effectively closed 116 sq km (45 sq miles) of the Southern North Sea Marine Protected Area (MPA) to bottom trawling”.BBC News: “Greenpeace claimed it had "effectively closed 116 sq km (45 sq miles) of the Southern North Sea Marine Protected Area (MPA) to bottom trawling".”
- SupportedGreenpeace described the action as a “last resort” and said it did not have a licence.BBC News: “When asked if they had permission to drop the boulders, Greenpeace said this was a "last resort" for it, and it did not have a licence.”
- SupportedDefra said activities at sea should be carried out lawfully.BBC News: “The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said "activities at sea should be carried out lawfully".”
- SupportedA Defra spokesperson said: “We have strict legislation in place to protect our marine environment while supporting sustainable fishing and coastal communities.”BBC News: “A Defra spokesperson said: "We have strict legislation in place to protect our marine environment while supporting sustainable fishing and coastal communities."”
- SupportedDefra said damaging fishing activities are banned in more than 100 Marine Protected Areas and it is considering further restrictions where there may be benefits.BBC News: “All Marine Protected Areas are safeguarded by legislation, with damaging fishing activities banned in more than 100 sites, and we are also considering further restrictions where there may be benefits in doing so.”
- SupportedBottom trawling involves dragging weighted nets along the seabed and can harm underwater vegetation.BBC News: “Bottom trawling involves dragging weighted nets along the seabed to catch fish, although it can harm underwater vegetation.”
- SupportedGreenpeace said progress in its efforts to protect marine protected areas had been “at a glacial pace”.BBC News: “It said that after years of meeting with politicians and the government to try to protect marine protected areas, progress had been "at a glacial pace".”
- SupportedGreenpeace said trawling noise disrupted harbour porpoises’ ability to hunt and that the MPA had been designated to protect the animal.BBC News: “They added that the noise pollution of trawling disrupted the porpoises' ability to hunt and that the MPA had been designated to protect the animal.”
- SupportedIn 2022, activists dropped 18 boulders off Cornwall, and the Marine Management Organisation said it was “very disappointed” and did not believe the action was justified or would help protect the marine environment.BBC News: “In 2022, activists dropped 18 boulders off the coast of Cornwall. After this, the government body responsible for managing coastal waters, the Marine Management Organisation (MMO), said: "As England's marine regulator, we are very disappointed that Greenpeace has chosen to take this action to drop boulders to form a barrier, as we don't believe it is justified or will help protect our marine environment."”
