The report shows that bottom trawling – one of the most destructive fishing techniques  – can be largely replaced in the European Union (EU) by far less aggressive fishing gears. Switching to readily available alternatives to bottom trawling offers multiple benefits, such as dramatically improving fisheries resources, protecting the seabed and marine habitats and increasing resilience of the ocean to the climate breakdown. These findings come as the European Commission is about to publish its Action Plan to conserve fisheries resources and protect marine ecosystems, setting a path to tackle the impacts of fishing to meet the EU’s biodiversity objectives in the ocean. The report has been published jointly by Seas At Risk and Oceana. 

Read the press release.