A COMPLETE ban or severe restrictions on supertrawlers is being supported by Isle of Wight MP Bob Seely.

He said he was 'delighted' to hear that Greenpeace is campaigning on it, and said it would be easier to pass laws now we have left the EU.

Mr Seely's support comes as 58 MPs, including Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, joined calls for the Government to ban supertrawlers and other destructive industrial fishing vessels from fishing in UK Marine Protected Areas.

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A cross-party group of MPs, along with scientists, campaigners and influencers, signed an open letter to the Environment Secretary, George Eustice, urging him to ban industrial fishing vessels from operating inside the UK’s most ecologically sensitive marine areas and ensure marine protection is a top priority when Britain leaves the EU’s Common Fisheries Policy.

The letter, coordinated by Greenpeace UK, has also been signed by Caroline Lucas, Jeremy Corbyn, Dr Emma Cavan, Joanna Lumley, Michael Palin, Gillian Anderson and Sir Ranulph Fiennes, amongst others.

Philip Evans, an oceans campaigner at Greenpeace UK, said: "The writing is on the wall — supertrawlers have no place in our most sensitive and ecologically important waters.

"Allowing these floating fish factories to operate in our Marine Protected Areas undermines the Government’s vision for ocean protection both at home and on the world stage.

“This Government must heed the call from MPs, scientists, campaigners and one of its own cabinet ministers, and commit to a ban on supertrawlers and other destructive vessels operating in UK MPAs.

"This would pave the way for a network of fully or highly protected marine areas covering at least 30 per cent of UK waters, and demonstrate that this Government is serious about being a world leader on marine protection.”

Isle of Wight MP Bob Seely hadn't signed the letter but said: "I am delighted that Greenpeace are now campaigning on this. When the UK was a member of the EU, we had no choice but to accept supertrawlers in UK waters.

"Now that we have left the EU, we can pass laws ensuring supertrawlers are either banned or severely limited from UK seas, protecting our marine environment and supporting the UK fishing community.

"I will be supporting either a complete ban or very severe restrictions on supertrawlers and I will be campaigning for the interests of the inshore fishing community.

"I will be talking to the Island’s fishing community about these issues in the near future.

“I also look forward to Greenpeace accepting we could only do this because we can make our own laws outside the EU.”

Read more: Isle of Wight MP wants supertrawler clampdown

No supertrawlers are UK owned, but at present all operate in UK Marine Protected Areas legally.