Bottom trawling drags large weighted nets across the seafloor, catching vast numbers of non-target species and causing physical damage to animals and habitat. Its welfare impacts are extensive and largely invisible.
Deep-sea trawling causes suffering at enormous scale. Non-target animals including sharks, rays, seabirds, and non-commercial fish die through barotrauma, crushing, and suffocation. Target species hauled to the surface experience rapid and painful decompression. The ecological destruction of seafloor habitats eliminates habitat for billions of animals over centuries. The combination of individual welfare harm and ecosystem destruction makes deep-sea trawling one of the most impactful animal welfare issues globally.