SEABORNE Greenpeace activists have created an underwater “boulder barrier” on the English Channel seabed to prevent destructive industrial fishing.

The operation was mounted by Greenpeace vessel Arctic Sunrise in an area known as the South West Deeps in a Marine Protected Area in the western English Channel on Thursday.

Greenpeace dropped 18 boulders weighing between 500kg and 1,400kg from Arctic Sunrise.

The barrier will prevent industrial trawlers “dragging” the seabed, wrecking marine life.

Will McCallum, head of oceans at Greenpeace UK, said: “Right now, there’s an industrial fishing frenzy happening in UK waters, and what’s our government doing about it? Greenpeace UK has created this underwater boulder barrier as a last resort to protect the oceans. We’d much rather the government just did their job.”

Neil Whitney, a fisherman from Newhaven in East Sussex, said: “Big industrial fishing boats can catch more in one day than I can catch all year. Greenpeace gets the urgency, while leaders and policy makers just twiddle their thumbs.”