Greenpeace drops North Sea boulder barrier to block trawlers

Greenpeace activists have dropped giant stones into the North Sea to create an underwater boulder barrier, according to the Guardian. The activists operated from the Greenpeace ship Arctic Sunrise. They took action in the Southern North Sea marine protected area to snag the dragnets of industrial trawlers. [1]

The Southern North Sea is the most bottom-trawled marine protected area in the United Kingdom, the Guardian reported. Despite its protected status, most of the area has no restrictions on fishing. The site supports nearly 20 per cent of the harbour porpoise population in the UK North Sea. [1]

The North Sea is located between Great Britain, Norway, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, and France. It covers 570,000 square kilometres and connects to the Atlantic Ocean. The area supports productive fisheries and diverse marine life, but faces pressures from overfishing and habitat alteration. [2][4]

The action follows earlier environmental demonstrations by the organization. As FTMQ News reported earlier, Australian authorities detained two Greenpeace activists in October 2026 after they scaled a Woodside gas platform located 375 kilometres off the coast of Western Australia. [6]