To coincide with the Our Ocean conference, a new report, co-authored by Marine Conservation Society, Seas At Risk and Oceana, shows that in the seven countries analysed, 4.4 million hours of apparent bottom trawling was allowed in MPAs between 2015-2023 – equivalent to more than 500 years’ worth of trawling.

Using data compiled by Global Fishing Watch, the breadth and hours of fishing activity were calculated in Denmark, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, and Sweden. The Netherlands has the highest number of bottom towed fishing hours recorded within the MPA sites studied, followed by Germany, Denmark, and Spain.

The news release from Seas at Risk said that the ‘report coincides with the release of landmark scientific advice by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES), which shows that closing 30% of EU North Sea, Celtic Sea and Baltic Sea waters to bottom fishing would result in reductions of landing values of less than 0.1% – 6.6% per year, with considerable benefits for the marine ecosystems that underpin commercially exploited fish species.’

Photo: Christian Paul Stobbe

A contrary view

However, a piece in the Fishing Daily contests the claims in the report, stating they are based on flawed data and misconceptions about the fishing industry. The news story says that data used in the report fails to distinguish between sustainable and destructive fishing practices, going on to say that relying on AIS (Automatic Identification System) transmissions, cannot accurately prove whether a vessel is fishing in an area or passing through it, and neither can it identify the method of fishing being carried out by a fishing vessel.

Comments from campaigners

Tatiana Nuño, Senior Marine Policy Officer at Seas At Risk, said: “Our campaign is putting a stop to ‘out of sight, out of mind’ when it comes to what EU governments are allowing in so-called protected waters. It’s time to stop bulldozing the seabed, and to ban bottom trawling in EU MPAs once and for all.”

Nicolas Fournier, Campaign Director for Marine Protection at Oceana in Europe, said: “…analysis reveals a decade-long silent tragedy hitting EU seas and fishers – most countries are ignoring EU nature laws, with impunity, by allowing the most destructive fishing practices in the most sensitive and protected waters. The EU Marine Action Plan offered a path to put an end to this situation, but by defending industrial fishing interests, countries are upholding the status quo. If it is to meet its marine biodiversity targets by 2030, the next European Commission has no other option but to enforce a ban on bottom trawling in EU MPAs.”

The report, ‘A quantification of bottom towed fishing activity in marine Natura 2000 sites’, can be read here.