Late last night, after two weeks of intense negotiations, delegates meeting at the United Nations finally agreed to language for a High Seas Treaty. This is a major milestone in a nearly two-decade effort to secure a treaty to govern and protect the High Seas, which make up 70% of the ocean and cover nearly half the planet. More than 160,000 supporters spoke up and urged leaders to act. This public support, along with the great work of partners like RISE UP, the High Seas Alliance, Greenpeace, and more, helped show decision-makers that people all over the world were watching and wanted action — and they delivered. There is still more work to do, as nations will now need to formally adopt the language and ratify the treaty at the country level. We will continue to keep you updated on campaign developments and the critical moments where we need your support.
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Share the appeal to ban bottom trawling in EU protected waters
Join us, and urge European leaders to take decisive action against bottom trawling in marine protected areas.
Caption
The EU allows bottom trawling, the world's most destructive fishing practice, to occur in its protected seas.
But where is most of this underwater destruction taking place? A recent study of seven countries shows that Dutch MPAs are the most targeted, where bottom trawlers have indiscriminately scraped up the seafloor for a combined total of more than two million hours in less than ten years.
Explore the graphic — and once you’re sufficiently shocked and fired up, add your name to the link in bio to make a change and demand that the EU ban bottom trawling in protected areas.
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Bottom trawling involves dragging heavy nets — some hundreds of metres long and up to five tonnes — across fragile ocean seabeds, where they scrape away centuries-old reefs and destroy endangered marine life — and EU leaders are allowing this to happen.
Every day, dolphins, sharks, turtles, and other animals are swept up and killed at random. If we want to truly protect Europe’s seas, then bottom trawling in protected areas must stop now.
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Imagine a giant net sweeps through your neighborhood, completely demolishing everything in its path — your home, gardens, mailboxes, neighbors, roads, cars... everything is gone.
This is what’s happening to fish, corals, and marine mammals in the EU’s “protected” waters. Bottom trawlers tear up the seafloor and indiscriminately kill millions of creatures, regardless of species.
Enough is enough. It’s time to demand that the EU ban bottom trawling in their not-actually-protected areas. Add your name in support at the link in our bio.
Tweet
Bottom trawlers are still allowed to destructively overfish in protected European seas, putting endangered marine species at grave risk. Join us and tell @VSinkevicius @vonderleyen to end this practice in the EU’s “protected” areas. #BanBottomTrawling https://only.one/bottom-trawling
Tweet
Bottom trawlers devastate "protected" EU waters. Nets as big as football pitches scrape away reefs and destroy marine life. Urge @VSinkevicius and @vonderleyen to take action now and truly protect the seas. #BanBottomTrawling https://only.one/bottom-trawling