Bottom trawling is one of the most destructive fishing methods, devastating seafloor ecosystems and causing massive bycatch mortality across a huge range of marine species.
Deep-sea trawling causes welfare harm at massive scale - the crushing, barotrauma and prolonged suffocation experienced by millions of bycatch animals, from fish to invertebrates to sea turtles, represents an enormous burden of animal suffering largely invisible to consumers. Beyond individual animal welfare, the destruction of deep-sea ecosystems eliminates habitat for countless species. The slow reproduction rates of deep-sea species mean recovery from trawling takes decades or centuries. The welfare case against deep-sea trawling converges with conservation, ecological and climate arguments - it is one of the most harmful fishing practices in use.