Wild Animals

Bottom Trawling Impacts on Marine Welfare

Bottom trawling causes massive destruction of seafloor habitats and kills vast numbers of non-target marine animals.

Key Facts

Bottom trawling is the most ecologically destructive fishing method in widespread use
An estimated 1.8 billion tonnes of seafloor is disturbed annually by bottom trawling
Bycatch from trawling includes starfish, sponges, crabs, and countless other species
Carbon stored in seafloor sediments is released by trawling, contributing to climate change
Marine protected areas can exclude trawling but enforcement varies significantly

Welfare Considerations

Bottom trawling causes both immediate welfare harm to millions of non-target animals crushed, torn apart, or left to die after bycatch, and longer-term welfare harm through destruction of the complex habitats that support marine life. The welfare and environmental case for restricting or phasing out bottom trawling is compelling.

What You Can Do

Choose seafood certified under schemes that exclude bottom trawl-caught fish
Support campaigns for legally enforceable marine protected areas that ban trawling
Advocate for fishing gear restrictions that reduce seafloor habitat damage
Reduce seafood consumption from species predominantly caught by bottom trawl
Support research into more selective, lower-impact fishing gear alternatives