Appeal

Urge the EU Commission to Ban Destructive Fishing in Protected Waters

31,497 signatures. Let’s get to 50K

with Oceana and Seas at Risk

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What You Need to Know

Bottom trawling is one of the world’s most destructive fishing practices. By dragging weighted nets along the ocean floor — some up to 240 meters wide — bottom trawling devastates coastal habitats, kills marine life indiscriminately, and depletes fish stocks. Just as bulldozing a forest destroys an ecosystem that has taken centuries to grow, bottom trawling decimates the seabed in a single motion, scraping up coral reefs and any other life in its path.

Shockingly, bottom trawling is still permitted in some of Europe’s most fragile underwater ecosystems even though they have been designated as marine protected areas (MPAs).

Explore where bottom trawling is damaging Europe’s protected waters

Map

What’s the Issue?

Bottom trawling is responsible for more than 90% of discarded fish in the EU and accidentally ensnared and killed turtles, seabirds, and marine mammals. This harmful practice not only threatens Europe’s fish stocks but also the livelihoods of low-impact fishers and fisheries across the continent. In the Mediterranean, for example, 58% of all fish stocks remain overfished, largely because of bottom trawling, which makes it nearly impossible for low-impact fishers to keep up. By banning bottom trawling in MPAs as a starting point, marine life can recover, and we can preserve the low-impact fishing traditions that many communities depend on.

Bottom trawling is a destructive fishing practice that drags heavy nets across the ocean floor · Greenpeace

Dragged nets crush, tear up, and entangle delicate reefs, destroying natural habitats

The nets can accidentally trap turtles, dolphins, and other marine life, leaving them to die · Greenpeace

Bottom trawling gear is responsible for 93% of reported discards in the EU (1 million tonnes between 2015-2019) · Greenpeace

Low-impact fishing is more sustainable, but bottom trawlers exploit and deplete fish stocks, leaving little for local fishers

Campaign goals

We’re urging the European Commission to take action. It has the power to:

Hold leaders accountable

Oversee the EU Marine Action Plan, which calls on EU Members to submit roadmaps to ban bottom trawling in protected waters.

Support fishers

Promote sustainable fisheries and fishing practices that support marine conservation efforts.

Protect MPAs

Strengthen the management and enforcement of existing marine protected areas.

Why your voice matters

Public pressure can drive change. By raising our voices together, we can demonstrate public demand for immediate action to protect the ocean. Your support is critical in safeguarding marine ecosystems for future generations, ensuring sustainable fisheries, and promoting biodiversity.

Cover Photo: Umeed Mistry | Ocean Image Bank

Learn more about this campaign

Join the Movement to Ban Bottom Trawling in Europe’s Protected Waters

Campaign

Supporters

Kim M

Too many innocent animals are dying.

3 hours ago

Mark S

we need to have a better balance of plant and animal food. eating animals sure taste great but eating more plants instead is better for everyone and e…

4 hours ago

Derek G

if our oceans die, we die. I am also against animal cruelty in any form.

5 hours ago

Robin B

we need to protect our ocesns & waterways!

16 hours ago

Lena G

I want to live. I want my children to live. I want the world to be just as beautiful or more than it is today, for them. I want a future. I want the w…

16 hours ago

Ciara C

i am signing because im sick and tire of seeing dead animals wash up dead because of all the pollution and fishing nets that grt left behing

18 hours ago

Rochelle w

No more pollution!!

19 hours ago

Csilla P

im sick of the trash

20 hours ago

Schwartz Y

I want to stop ignorant powerful people from destroying our world for their greed!

20 hours ago

Elizabeth W

The health of the planet is so much involved wuth the health of its people.

21 hours ago

Linda H

I am afraid of and hate what is happening to our world and all by it’s creatures.

22 hours ago

Alexa R

Trawling is terrible for corals and wildlife!

1 day ago

Teresa C

it destroys coral reef, and mass destruction to ocean floor. It kills off a lot of ocean life. Leave the ocean floor as it is, and took years and year…

1 day ago

Linda J

Destructive (aka commercial) fishing should be banned in all waters.

1 day ago

Claudia M

our oceans can't protect themselves from corporate pollution so we have to!

1 day ago

Any S

destructive fishing practices are destructive

1 day ago

Susan C

i care about all living creatures! We must be the voice of the voiceless!!

1 day ago

Rosalin M

the ecosystem is just as important and meaningful to out planet than just the air we breathe

2 days ago

Albert T

no destructive fishing please let these beings.. be.

2 days ago

Maria Jose P

i want a better life for the world

2 days ago

Ashley F

I am signing becuase its important just how damaging these are to not only for these sea animal but for the animal cycle in general. This is very urg…

2 days ago

Phillip D

This issue is the result of humans leaving their trash indiscriminately, again!

2 days ago

Angela E

im signing this petition because it’s horrible to see the sea life trapped in nets from fishermen who abandon the nets or that are still in use , our…

2 days ago

Kathy S

It is the right thing to do for our home, planet Earth and the creatures who live on it.

2 days ago

Bonnie S

marine life deserve better!!!!

2 days ago