New Report Highlights €10 Billion Annual Loss from Bottom Trawl Fishing in Europe

The practice, deemed ecologically and economically unsustainable, causes significant habitat destruction, CO2 emissions, and operates largely due to subsidies.

• A March 2025 report by National Geographic Pristine Seas estimates annual damages from bottom trawl fishing in Europe at up to €10 billion, citing bycatch, habitat destruction, and CO2 emissions as key factors.
• The report reveals that bottom trawl fishing contributes only 2% to Europe's animal protein supply despite its severe environmental and economic costs.
• Approximately 12% of bottom trawl fishing occurs in marine protected areas (MPAs), undermining conservation efforts in critical ecosystems like Germany's Sylter Außenriff and Fehmarnbelt.
• The practice releases CO2 stored in seabed sediment, exacerbating climate change by disturbing natural carbon sinks.
• Advocates, including OceanCare and Enric Sala of Pristine Seas, call for an end to bottom trawl fishing in MPAs as an initial step to mitigate its widespread damage.

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