THE Government will respond to a petition to ban “monster” super trawlers from British seas.

It comes as the Margiris fishing boat, once considered the second largest in the world, continues to operate off the South Coast. It was off Sussex as recently as last week.

The Dutch-owned fishing boat was once banned from Australian waters and has provoked concern among environmentalists since it was spotted off the UK earlier this month.

With a deadweight of 6,200 tonnes, the mammoth super trawler is longer than a football pitch and can process 250 tonnes of fish a day.

Yesterday an official petition to Parliament passed 10,000 signatures, meaning the Government must provide a response.

The petition says: “The UK Government should work internationally to ban these trawlers and remove them from UK waters.

“The mammoth commercial fishing vessel is designed to operate fishing trawls, which involves pulling a fishing net through a large body of water.

“Heavily regulated in some nations, trawling is widely criticised for its lack of selectivity, and the physical damage the trawl inflicts on the seabed.”

The 142-metre long Margiris is owned by Dutch company Parlevliet van der Plas, which says it has an “excellent reputation for sustainable fishing”.

It was refused fishing licences in Australia in 2013, according to Greenpeace.

At the time, Greenpeace Australia spokesman David Ritter said: “This monster is the biggest ship never to have fished in Australian waters.

“Like most Australians, we’re happy to see the back of it.”

A spokesman for the Blue Planet Society said: “The capacity of these trawlers is equivalent to dozens of small-scale fishing vessels, and sustainable small-scale fisheries cannot compete with industrial super trawlers.

“Super trawlers are effectively floating factories and able to stay at sea for considerable periods of time.

“Margiris can process 250 tonnes of fish per day whilst at sea.

“Local, smaller fishing boats have to return to port to offload the fish prior to processing.

“We think the super trawlers Margiris and Annie Hillina are targeting mackerel off Sussex. This will undoubtedly put them in contact with short-beaked common dolphins, endangered bluefin tuna and overfished sea bass.”

Fishing in the Channel is governed by the Common Fisheries Policy, a set of rules laid down by the European Commission.

A Commission official said: “The Commission is aware of concerns among NGOs concerning the activity of large trawlers (in UK waters).

“All vessels operating in EU waters, large and small, have to abide by the rules and this is controlled by the member states’ inspection and control services.

“It is a priority that all Union vessels comply with the legislation in force.

“Therefore, if there is a suspicion that vessels infringe rules then the Commission would like to be informed and receive concrete facts.

“Moreover, fisheries inspection authorities in the member states also need to be informed about this.”

Fishing company Parlevliet van der Plas includes the Margiris on a list of pelagic trawlers on its website.

The website says: “Pelagic fish shoals are located with the help of echo-sounding equipment. From the echogram it is possible to estimate the depth and the size of the shoal.

“The net is towed behind the ship just below the water surface or further down the water column, but does not reach the sea bed.

“Pelagic fishing gear is constantly undergoing further improvements to ensure a responsible fishery through better selectivity.

“Special measures and aids - such as large mesh sizes in the front part of the net - are being developed to prevent the catch of unwanted species or undersized juvenile fish.”

The company’s website says it has an “excellent reputation for sustainable fishing”.

It says: “Our catch quotas are dictated by government and EU regulations, and are based on scientific advice.

“We fish without causing damage to the seabed, and without disturbing the ecological system.”