Environment Trawling may cause billions in damage
According to a report, fishing with trawls on the seabed causes annual damage of up to ten billion euros in Europe alone. According to the research team, it is not only the economic consequences that are dramatic.
25.03.2025, 01:18
SDA
Bycatch, destroyed habitats, CO2 emissions and other factors make the practice unprofitable despite its economic importance, according to a report published by the marine conservation organization National Geographic Pristine Seas, among others. Bottom trawling is only still common because the actual costs are not reflected and the practice is subsidized.
In this type of fishing, ships drag sometimes huge nets through the sea, the lower end of which drags directly across the bottom using weights. Habitats such as mussel beds and reefs can be severely damaged as a result, and bycatch rates are also high. Despite reservations about the practice, it is still widespread - the majority of wild fish on local plates are taken from the sea in this way.
Expert speaks of ecological and economic "catastrophe"
For their calculations, the experts took a close look at the period between 2016 and 2021 and compared costs and income: according to an optimistic estimate, the industry generates an average annual turnover of 4.5 billion euros. Added to this are positive contributions to nutrition and employment. The costs include state subsidies, bycatch and, above all, emitted CO2. Depending on the price per tonne for the greenhouse gas, this would result in a shortfall of between 330 million and 10.8 billion euros per year.
"Bottom trawling is both an ecological and an economic disaster," said Enric Sala from Pristine Seas. It contributes only two percent of Europe's animal protein supply, but takes a devastating toll on biodiversity.
The practice is also harmful in terms of the climate, as the sediment acts as a CO2 reservoir. If it is stirred up, more of the greenhouse gas can be released into the atmosphere. The researchers also found that, on average, over twelve percent of the relevant activities took place in marine protected areas.
