In ground trawler fishing, heavy nets are drawn over the seabed to catch fish. Commercial fishing companies often use this method because it is profitable for them. At once, a large amount of fish is caught.
Harmful to the Ecosystem
Trailer fishing has adverse effects, including significant damage to the seabed and high by-catch rates, on young fish of the desired species as well as on invertebrates such as crabs, sea stars, and sea needles. Scientists agree that the method damages the entire underwater ecosystem. Land-based fishing not only contributes to the loss of biodiversity and the destruction of habitats but also has a major impact on the environment.
Destruction of Biodiversity
In February 2022, scientists from Oceana published a study on the extent of ground trawler fishing in EU and UK marine protected areas. Oceana is one of the largest international non-profit organisations dedicated exclusively to the protection of the seas. The results of the study showed that in 510 of the 1,945 marine protected areas surveyed, intensive ground trawler fishing takes place. These 510 areas covered 86% of the total area surveyed. In particular, the larger, coastal protected areas were more fished. “The marine protected areas where this high-risk fishing takes place are inoperable,” the study authors write.
In addition, the drawing of large nets over the seabed damages important marine habitats such as coral reefs and sea grasslands. This level of biodiversity loss and habitat damage disturbs the delicate balance in marine ecosystems, which has a significant impact on marine life as a whole.
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Fishing with mobile fishing Gear
Fishing with mobile ground-to-ground fishing gear (such as tree cranes, dredges, and ground-touched scavenger nets) has a significant impact on habitats such as sandbanks, reefs, and biogenic structures (like sabellaria ribs, mushrooms, etc.) with their typical habitats and sensitive species. The severity of damage depends on a variety of factors, including the fishing shaft’s weight and traction speed, as well as its habitat and species.
In some areas of the southern North Sea, fish are caught up to 20 times a year with mobile fishing gear that touches the ground. An investigation showed that the biomass of soil organisms in the southern and central North Seas has decreased by 39% compared to the unfished state. Basic fishing gear has a greater impact on sensitive, long-lived species with a low multiplication rate than on fast-growing, opportunistic species such as bristleworms and sea stars.
Action of the EU Commission
The EU Commission called on Member States in February 2023 to ban ground trawling fishing in marine protected areas by 2030 at the latest. By the end of March 2024, the initial measures ought to be in place. There was also a ban on the use of tractor nets in the Wadden Sea National Park (North Sea area in Denmark, Germany, and the Netherlands). According to EU Fisheries Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevičius, the EU Maritime Action Plan provides for the phasing-out of ground fishing in all marine protected areas by 2030. However, action depends on the goodwill of governments. By 2030, 196 countries, including the EU, will have agreed to protect 30% of their oceans and seas. However, the decisions of the CBD Convention (Convention on Biological Diversity) are not legally binding and therefore depend on the individual decisions of countries.
