England institutes ban on sand eel fishing, with Scotland ready to follow

U.K. policymakers and conservation groups have largely hailed a decision taken by the U.K. government to stop sandeel fishing in English North Sea waters, which will go into force from 1 April onward, as a much-needed boost for marine life.Alongside the closure of sandeel fisheries, the government’s new plans – delivered around one year on from the launch of the U.K. Environmental Improvement Plan – will include further restrictions on bottom trawling and an enhanced framework regarding the nation’s national parks and protected areas.Announcing the measures on 31 January 2024, the U.K. Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs (Defra) said sandeels are a vital food source for some of the country’s most vulnerable seabirds and marine mammals, including puffins and harbor porpoises, as well as commercially important fish species such as haddock and whiting. Defra said the closure will bolster the resilience of these species and ensure biodiversity can recover across marine ...