Overview

• The EU Court of Justice dismissed the German fishermen's lawsuit against the European Commission's seabed-trawling bans in protected North Sea areas.
• The restrictions aim to safeguard sandbanks, reefs, harbor porpoises, and bird species from the damaging effects of bottom-trawling fishing methods.
• The bans affect key marine protected zones, including Sylter Außenriff, Borkum-Riffgrund, Doggerbank, and the eastern German Bight.
• Fishermen had sought exemptions for areas within Germany's Exclusive Economic Zone, arguing the restrictions were overly broad and unnecessary.
• The court's ruling reinforces the EU's broader strategy to combat overfishing and habitat degradation, following reduced fishing quotas set in late 2024.