SUFFOLK Wildlife Trust is appealing for public support for a new bill to protect marine wildlife.The Petition Fish campaign, launched in June at the House of Commons, now has an online animated petition where people can show their support by signing their name on a gold or silver scale and attach it to the fish petition.

SUFFOLK Wildlife Trust is appealing for public support for a new bill to protect marine wildlife.

The Petition Fish campaign, launched in June at the House of Commons, now has an online animated petition where people can show their support by signing their name on a gold or silver scale and attach it to the fish petition.

Marine development manager, Lisa Browning, said: “The Wildlife Trusts have been campaigning for many years for new laws to protect marine wildlife.

“The Government promised a Marine Bill in 2005 but we're still waiting for it.”

The Trust has now introduced Bernard the Gurnard to the petition campaign, a fish frustrated by the wait for a Marine Bill.

Bernard is a Red Gurnard, a bottom-feeding fish which lives in sandy areas around the UK coast. Gurnards have two unusual features: they can walk using slender 'fingers' that are actually fin spines, to creep along the seabed and they can 'talk' (they grunt and croak, perhaps to communicate with each other).

Thousand of signatures have been gathered already and the Bernard the Gurnard fish petition will be available to sign at Wildlife Trusts' events throughout the UK, with four at the Suffolk Wildlife Trust visitor centres.

The campaign will reach a climax on Wednesday, October 10 when all 200 Petition Fish will return to Westminster for an event with MPs.

The following week, the petition will be delivered to Downing Street, in a final bid to keep the Marine Bill afloat.

To see Bernard the Gurnard, click the link on The Wildlife Trusts' homepage www.wildlifetrusts.org.

For more information call Suffolk Wildlife Trust on 01473 890089.