End Bottom Trawling in MPAs

Globally, four million tons of fish and marine mammals are unintentionally caught and killed by bottom trawling. This includes vulnerable species such as dolphins, turtles, whales, seahorses, octopuses, and sharks.

The destruction caused by bottom trawling not only affects individual species, but also entire ecosystems. Without a diverse array of species, these ecosystems are less resilient and more vulnerable to collapse.

Bottom trawling emits up to 370 million metric tons of planet-warming carbon dioxide into our atmosphere every year, roughly the same as running 100 coal-fired power plants. This practice is detrimental to both marine life and the climate.

This harmful industrial fishing practice threatens global fish stocks and the livelihoods of millions of small-scale fishing communities that depend on them. In the Mediterranean, for example, 58% of all fish stocks remain overfished, largely because of bottom trawling, which makes it nearly impossible for family fishers to continue to feed their communities.

A study to measure the full economic cost of bottom trawling in Europe’s waters (the EU, UK, Norway and Iceland) shows that the damaging fishing practice imposes up to €10.8 billion in annual costs to society, largely due to massive carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from disturbed seafloor sediments.

Bottom trawling often yields net economic benefits only thanks to hidden taxpayer-funded subsidies that keep the industry afloat. Worldwide, governments allocate US$22 billion annually to support the fishing industry in depleting our oceans.