Environmental group deploys boulders to block destructive fishing

The environmental organization is targeting ‘bottom trawling,’ a fishing method that involves dragging heavy equipment across the seabed to catch fish. The goal is to safeguard the harbor porpoise population in the Southern North Sea Marine Protected Area.

Supported by celebrities Simon Pegg and Benedict Cumberbatch, the boulder deployment occurred over the weekend. Greenpeace asserts that in 2025, bottom trawlers operated more than 37,000 hours within this protected zone, exceeding any other offshore marine protected area.

Campaigners state that bottom trawling damages fragile seafloor habitats, reduces fish stocks vital for porpoises, and disrupts their hunting due to noise pollution. The group claims the boulders effectively close 116 square kilometers (44 square miles) of the area, creating what they term an “ocean park.”

The Greenpeace vessel Arctic Sunrise will monitor the area to deter other harmful fishing practices. This action follows previous instances of direct action by Greenpeace in other UK waters, coinciding with the premiere of the BBC’s Blue Planet III on Sunday.

“Blue Planet III powerfully shows us the majesty of our ocean – as well as the very grave threats it faces,” said Will McCallum, co-executive director of Greenpeace UK. “Imagine a bulldozer tearing through a treasured national park like Dartmoor or the Peak District. Out of sight, destruction on that scale is happening near our own shores in places we’re told are ‘Marine Protected Areas’.