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Skippers and Greenpeace declare a state of emergency over devastation of fishing communities

A STATE of emergency has been declared by the skippers of Britain’s small fishing boats and environmentalists over industrial trawling that has “devasted” fishing communities on the coasts of the English Channel and the southern North Sea.

Organisations of small-boat fishing fleets, composed of vessels less than 30 metres long, and campaign group Greenpeace has called for government action to stop such trawling, which is “leaving some local fishers with nothing left to catch.”

Greenpeace is being prosecuted by the Marine Agency for dropping boulder barriers in Britain’s protected marine areas to stop the activities of super trawlers.

The group says that the government is taking no action against the industrial fishing boats.

Greenpeace UK oceans campaigner Chris Thorne said: “We’ve been at sea all summer bearing witness to the destruction taking place in the English Channel and nearby waters.

“We’ve worked closely with local fishers and when you’re on the water with them, it’s very clear – our fishing communities are at breaking point.

“They won’t survive much longer without urgent action from the government.”

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