Save Scottish Seas: Most eyes are on the UK’s EU ‘in-or-out’ referendum, but meanwhile our MEPs are considering important fisheries decisions; namely whether we act now to place urgent limits on deep sea bottom-trawling. Over the next few weeks (or possibly months), European representatives should – after years of negotiation and political delays – decide how best to regulate the damaging effects of deep sea bottom-trawling across European waters and to sustainably manage vulnerable deep-sea fish. Deep sea bottom-trawling is a form of fishing that tows weighted nets across the seafloor at depths well beyond the continental shelf. Due to the serious damage it can cause to fragile marine ecosystems, scientists across Europe have called for it to be banned. However, deep sea trawling is still permitted across large areas of our shared waters.

Scotland’s sea area comprises 10% of Europe’s marine EEZ and some of its most productive waters. Scottish and other UK MEPs could therefore play a role in shaping the views of European Parliament about ongoing proposals to regulate deep sea trawling. The proposed regulation to reform the management of deep-sea fisheries has collectively become known as the ‘deep sea file’ which has had a tortuous and controversial passage through our European law-making institutions.