EU Commission Calls for Ban on Bottom Trawling in All Marine Protected Areas by 2030 - Oceana

Victory | February 28, 2023

EU Commission Calls for Ban on Bottom Trawling in All Marine Protected Areas by 2030

The European Commission released a Marine Action Plan that includes measures to end bottom trawling in all marine protected areas (MPAs) by 2030. The plan includes a process to ban bottom trawling in all MPAs established to protect seafloor habitats by 2024 and require a ban on bottom trawling in all newly established MPAs. The announcement marks the first time the Commission has officially acknowledged the problem of destructive fishing gear — like bottom trawling — and the scale of its effects on the marine environment. This victory follows campaigning by Oceana and its allies, who widely exposed the extent and impact of bottom trawling in EU MPAs.