A Labour MP has called for a blanket ban on “bottom trawling” of seabeds in marine protected areas (MPAs), which she said destroys fragile ecosystems and habitats.

Katie White compared bottom trawling, which is the act of dragging heavy nets across the seabed, with “ripping up an orchard to pick an apple”.

One or two trawls can decimate an area for up to five years, the Leeds North West MP said, and currently only 5% of the UK’s marine protected areas ban this “destructive” practice.