UK's largest sandbank to be fully protected

Banning of controversial fishing technique that threatens marine life framed as a 'Brexit Bonus'

- Simon Birch

PUFFINS AND KITTIWAKES ARE AMONG the wildlife winners following the government's decision to protect the biggest sandbank in the UK, Dogger Bank, from damaging fishing practices in a move welcomed by campaigners.

Dogger Bank lies in the southern North Sea and provides a crucial habitat for a wide range of marine life including hermit crabs, flatfish and starfish, as well as commercial species such as cod and sandeels.

Despite being designated one of the UK's 76 Marine Protected Areas (MPAS), Dogger Bank has been subjected to increasing levels of bottom trawling, a controversial fishing technique that causes widespread damage to wildlife and the seabed.