This petition was submitted during the 2019-2024 parliament
Petition Ban plastic fishing nets in UK waters.
Plastic fishing gear discarded from vessels are polluting our seas and strangling wildlife. A truly biodegradable alternative needs to be rediscovered. Our oceans are a dumping ground for plastic and other rubbish; plastic fishing nets, ropes and other gear form a significant part of that pollution.
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Get plastic out of the sea, and stop any more unnecessary plastic waste including nets going into the seas. Persuade the fishing industry that fishing cannot be sustained with so much plastic waste in our oceans, including continued discarding of nets straggling and killing sea creatures.
This petition is closed This petition ran for 6 months
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MPs call for ban on all plastic waste exports
MPs on the House of Commons Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee have called for a ban on the export of all plastic waste from the UK by 2027 to reduce the country's contribution to global plastic waste pollution.
Read a summary of the Committee's report on plastic waste
Report on ending the impact of plastic waste
Earlier this month, the Committee published a report on the impact of plastic waste and ways of reducing it. In their report, MPs called on the Government to restrict the amount of plastic that can be exported from the UK. They also called on the Government to step up the enforcement of existing rules to prevent criminal gangs illegally exporting and dumping UK-produced waste.
The report follows a series of evidence sessions earlier this year, where the Committee questions representatives from charities, environmental campaigners and commercial trade experts. At these sessions the Committee explored:
- whether the Government’s current ambitions to reduce plastic waste were enough
- how alternatives to plastic consumption can be identified and supported
- how England's current plastic exports impact other countries.
Find out more about the Committee's inquiry into plastic waste and read oral evidence from the Committee's inquiry.
What is the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee?
The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee is a cross-party group of backbench MPs that scrutinises the administration, spending and policy of the Government’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
- Find out more about the Committee
- Follow the Committee on Twitter for updates on its work. The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee is a select committee. Find out how select committees work.
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