Image: EU flags at the European Commission by Guillaume Périgois
The General Court of the European Union has ruled that Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) must be properly protected from fishing practices such as bottom trawling.
New regulations had been adopted on 8th December 2022, providing stronger levels of protection. However, the German fishing association VDK hoped to overturn the new measures in several German MPAs. On 21st May 2025, the court dismissed the legal challenge.
Conservation groups welcome the ruling
ClientEarth senior lawyer John Condon commented on the ruling saying:
“The European Court’s rejection of the lawsuit against protective measures in the North Sea is a critical victory for marine conservation. Science-backed bans on destructive bottom trawling must be the rule in all protected areas – without exception. Only then can we safeguard Europe’s marine biodiversity for generations to come and provide a sustainable future for fishers and coastal communities.
“This ruling sends a clear signal that we have strong conservation laws for protecting MPAs from destructive activities such as bottom trawling. Now it’s a matter of ensuring that they are urgently enforced.
“The upcoming European Oceans Pact is a key opportunity for the European Commission to set out a clear vision and strategy to enforce ocean conservation laws and tackle the root cause of so much marine biodiversity loss in Europe.”
Amy Hammond, Oceana UK’s campaign lead, hailed the ruling as an “absolute win for the ocean.” Focusing attention back on the UK she warned the UK Government and devolved governments to take note: “bottom trawling has no place in any marine protected area, anywhere.”
Momentum building
Calls for increased protection have been gaining momentum recently, following the release of David Attenbourough’s film, Ocean, which includes footage of bottom trawling. While the film received a variety of responses from different stakeholders, some conservation groups have used the film to gain support for a campaign that calls on UK Environment Secretary Steve Reed to end bottom trawling in marine protected areas.
Image: Sir David Attenborough (Silverback Films and Open Planet Studios/PA)