GREEN MP Caroline Lucas joined Greenpeace activists today to drive off a French industrial trawler fishing in a Marine Protected Area off the coast of Sussex.

MS Lucas was supporting Greenpeace’s Ocean Witness sea-going operation to intercept industrial trawlers whose weighted nets drag across the seabed and destroy marine life — a practice known as fly shooting.

Using Greenpeace’s newest vessel Sea Beaver they intercepted French trawler Larche fishing on the Bassurelle Sandbank MPA off Brighton.

Greenpeace displayed a banner reading: “This is a marine-protected area,” before asking the vessel to stop fishing and leave the area.

The group said the trawler hauled in its gear and left.

Greenpeace says the project was essential in the face of government marine agencies’ failure to stop industrial trawling in marine-protected areas.

Ms Lucas, who is MP for Brighton Pavilion, said: “This area off Brighton is supposed to be a marine-protected area. 

“Yet it’s clear that the government is turning a blind eye to hugely destructive industrial fishing which continues to take place there.

“If the government can’t ensure the protection of areas like this, it makes pledges to safeguard 30 per cent of land and sea for nature completely meaningless.”

Fiona Nicholls, Greenpeace UK oceans campaigner, said 85 MPs signed a letter calling for government action.

She said: “Our government needs to listen to their concerns, and deliver on its Brexit promise to level up ocean protection by banning bottom trawlers, supertrawlers and fly shooters from all of the UK’s protected areas. 

”This would revive our struggling coastal communities and save our oceans, so what is this government waiting for?”