The call comes as dead mammals continue to be washed up on beaches across the South West.

Torbay MP Adrian Sanders says he cannot wait for government trials to be carried out on new nets and wants the current practice banned.

He hopes to put his Bill to Parliament at the end of the month.

Environment effects

Many of the dolphins deaths are blamed on their becoming caught up in the massive nets strung between two pair trawlers, used to catch bass mainly by French and Scottish boats.

As well as the effect on the environment of dead sea mammals, the trawlers are taking thousands of tonnes of sea bass, which is starting to hit sport fishermen who are finding their small catches more difficult to achieve.

In 2003, 270 dolphins were washed ashore in Devon and Cornwall. Conservationists estimated that this number was only about 5% of the total of those which died in nets.

Pair trawler crews have always denied they are responsible for the mammals' deaths.