Friends of the Earth campaigners from the north east have joined the newly-launched UK Marine Reserves Campaign in asking the government to use the Marine Bill – expected to become law by the end of 2009 – to provide complete protection for 30 per cent of Britain's seas.

The campaign plans to table an Early Day Motion at Westminster and north east campaigners will be contacting local MPs to ask them to sign up and show their support for Highly-Protected Marine Reserves for 30 per cent of UK seas.

In the wake of the report by the American Association for the Advancement of Science into the state of the world's oceans, the campaign is demanding that 30 per cent of British seas be designated as no-take Highly-Protected Marine Reserves.

This would mean no fishing, dredging, pollution or exploitation for areas covering almost one-third of British waters.

Local campaigner Malcolm Scott, a member of North Tyneside Friends of the Earth and of Marinet, said: "The Marine Bill shows that the government recognises the need to bring together all users of the sea and manage the marine environment coherently.

"We will be asking MPs to vote for the Marine Bill to have marine ecosystems as the central focus for marine management schemes.

"Highly-Protected Marine Reserves overseas have demonstrated that proper no-take zones – where fishing, dredging and other damaging commercial activities are totally prohibited – can help marine ecosystems recover quickly, as long as they are properly managed."

The US report shows that 40 per cent of the world's oceans have been severely affected by human activity.

British seas are some of the most damaged in the world, with parts of the North Sea, the Channel and the North Atlantic found to be suffering from very serious ecological damage, says the report.

The government announced a Marine Bill in the 2007 Queen's speech, and a draft bill is expected shortly.