Wild Animals

Wild Pollock and Cod Welfare in Trawling

Bottom trawling for whitefish including pollock and cod causes significant welfare concerns through injury, pressure changes and prolonged fighting before capture.

Key Facts

Bottom trawls drag nets along the seabed capturing everything in their path
Fish in trawls experience barotrauma as they ascend from depth, causing internal injuries
Trawl haul times can last several hours, during which fish fight the net
Approximately 40-50% of trawl catches are non-target bycatch discarded dead or dying

Welfare Considerations

Fish in trawl nets experience progressive hypoxia as oxygen depletes in packed nets. Ascent from depth causes swim bladder over-inflation and rupture in physoclistous species. Many fish arrive at the surface dead or with injuries from fighting the net or from other fish. The welfare of individual cod and pollock during commercial trawling is severely compromised by current fishing practices.

What You Can Do

Choose Marine Stewardship Council certified fish where available
Prefer line-caught or pot-caught fish over trawl-caught alternatives
Support campaigns for trawl gear modification to reduce catch suffering duration
Advocate for research into pre-haul anaesthesia or rapid asphyxiation methods for trawled fish