Brazil’s Supreme Court Upholds Ban on Bottom Trawling in Rio Grande do Sul | Oceana

Victory | June 30, 2023

Brazil’s Supreme Court Upholds Ban on Bottom Trawling in Rio Grande do Sul

In a 9-1 vote, Brazil’s Supreme Court upheld a law in the state of Rio Grande do Sul that bans industrial bottom trawling, a highly destructive form of fishing that clear-cuts the seafloor. Prior to the 2018 ban, bottom trawling was depleting fish stocks, threatening marine biodiversity, and destroying habitat, all of which the local community relies on to support their livelihoods. Oceana campaigned alongside artisanal fishers to pass this law in 2018, which safeguards the entire state’s 630-kilometer long coast and the first 20 kilometers offshore (more than 13,000 square kilometers). Since then, local communities have seen many fish stocks recover. The Supreme Court decision reinforces the importance of this law to ensuring the sustainable livelihoods for more than 20,000 families who rely on artisanal fishing in Rio Grande do Sul.