Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in the European Union are established under EU laws including the Habitats Directive, to conserve rare, threatened, or endemic animal and plant species, along with their natural habitats. Thriving marine ecosystems within MPAs can better withstand the impacts of climate
change, mitigate its effects, and support the regeneration of fish populations, benefiting fishers due to this ‘spillover’ effect.

However, this is currently not the reality in the water. Despite the strong legal duties in the EU, destructive fishing activities including bottom trawling still occur in MPAs, putting at risk conservation objectives. Seas At Risk, together with other NGOs, published a factsheet to explain the actions taken on a double front: the submission of an EU complaint to the  European Commission, urging it to initiate infringement procedures against Member States that are not adhering to EU law, and the launch of legal actions against national governments in four EU Member States. 

Factsheet available in English, Portuguese, German.

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Posted on: 3 June 2025