08 Sep 2025
Photo by NOAA Scotland has announced new restrictions on bottom trawling across offshore Marine Protected Areas, representing what officials describe as a “major milestone” in marine protection, though environmental groups have criticised the measures for deliberately leaving the most heavily fished areas open. The fisheries management measures, coming into effect from 16th October, cover twenty MPAs […]
29 Jul 2025
Photo by Zoltan Tasi In June 2025 the UK Government launched announced a major plan to ban bottom trawling in 41 Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) across English waters. The consultation will close on 29th September, after a four-week extension was announced, and in recent weeks the debate over the proposed ban is being keenly […]
17 Jun 2025
Photo of Kaikoura, New Zealand, by Helen Stegney New Zealand, home to one of the world’s largest exclusive economic zones (EEZs), is under increasing pressure to enhance its marine conservation efforts. Despite its vast ocean territory, less than 1% is designated as highly protected, falling short of the nation’s commitment to protect 30% of […]
10 Jun 2025
Photo: Fishing boat by Paul Einerhand The UK Government has announced a major proposal to ban bottom trawling in 41 Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) across English waters. If implemented, it would expand existing ban on bottom trawling from 18,000 km² to 30,000 km², of the UK’s offshore areas, covering nearly a quarter of the […]
27 May 2025
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 […]
27 May 2025
Image: Fishing boat by Michel Stockman A new report from marine conservation organisation Oceana claims that bottom trawling continues to pose a serious threat to the UK’s offshore marine protected areas (MPAs), with over 20,000 hours of suspected activity recorded in 2024 alone. The report, titled The Trawled Truth, estimates that the suspected trawling would […]
25 Mar 2025
Two major new studies, both released today, have together demonstrated significant impacts of bottom trawling and demonstrate the feasibility of a transition away from trawling. Image description: Two trawling boats side by side at sea. Image by günter from Pixabay Trawling costs up to €11bn a year: Firstly, the study by National Geographic […]
19 Nov 2024
Friends of the Earth Germany, Bund für Umwelt- und Naturschutz Deutschland (BUND) filed a lawsuit against the German government to end bottom trawling, which is taking place in the Dogger Bank European Marine Protected Area. BUND – a member of Brussels-based marine NGO Seas At Risk, which is supporting the lawsuit – had already lodged an […]
