Trawl fishing ban off Sussex coast aims to restore seaweed forests

Bylaw supported by David Attenborough protects large area of seabed to allow kelp to regrow

Damaging trawl fishing has been banned in more than 100 square miles of seabed off Sussex to help once vast kelp forests recover.

A new bylaw has been approved to prohibit trawling year round over large areas along the entire Sussex coast closest to the shore, to help habitats regenerate and improve fisheries, Sussex Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority (IFCA) said.

Related: ‘Big day for UK seas’ as bottom trawling ban in four protected areas proposed