Why UK is getting stricter with seafloor fishing

Bottom Trawling involves a ship dragging a large weighted net along the sea bed

The UK government has says it want to widen a ban on a kind of fishing called 'ocean bottom trawling' in protected areas.

Bottom trawling is a type of fishing that involves dragging large weighted nets along the seafloor to catch fish.

But it also damages the ocean floor, and can hurt other marine life living there.

It's already banned in some parts of the UK but ministers say the plan is to make the rules stronger, and safeguard more seafloor in the UK's protected areas.

But fishing communities say it's an important way of catching seafood and is only a problem when done in the wrong place.

What is bottom trawling and why is it considered to be harmful?

This kind of fishing is used to herd and capture marine species living on or near the floor of the ocean.

One or two boats drag a large weighted net along the ocean floor to catch things like fish or crabs.

It's banned in some of the UK's Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and last week, UK Members of Parliament called for that to be extended - the new plans would cover 41 of England's 181 MPAs.

Why are people talking about this now?

Prince William and biologist and broadcaster David Attenborough discuss his new documentary 'Ocean with David Attenborough'

Lots of representatives from countries around the world are currently in France for the UN Ocean Conference, to discuss how to better take care of our oceans.

A goal of the conference is for more countries to agree to a plan to look after international waters: areas that aren't owned by one country.

In an interview with Prince William, Sir David Attenborough said: "What we have done to the ocean floor is just unspeakably awful."

"If you did anything remotely like it on land, everybody would be up in arms."

Prince William has also spoken out and urged world leaders to "act together with urgency" in order to protect the planet's oceans.

What would the new ban involve?

Right now, bottom trawling is already banned in some protected areas, but the government wants it to cover much more.

It would mean that fishing boats wouldn't be allowed to drag their big nets along the ocean floor in these places anymore.

The government will now spend the next 12-weeks speaking to people from the marine and fishing industry to find out what their feelings are about the idea.

Some fishing communities have pushed back on the proposal, saying that bottom trawling isn't destructive unless done in the wrong place, and that it's an efficient way to catch the food people eat.