A proposal by the Swedish government to ban bottom trawling in Swedish marine protected areas has been welcomed by a wide range of organizations.
Amongst those welcoming the proposal are Oceana, ClientEarth, Seas At Risk and the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation (SSNC).
The organizations urge the ban’s implementation, and are calling on other European governments to implement a similar ban. Bottom trawling is renowned for being incredibly destructive, and is responsible for decimating critical marine ecosystems.
According to SSNC chair Beatrice Rindevall:
“This is an important step in the right direction for corals, sharks, rays, and other unique and threatened species in Sweden’s seas. They will soon be able to live in better-protected areas and be spared from destructive fishing practices that obliterate entire seabed ecosystems. Bottom trawling is comparable to plowing a flower meadow. Coral colonies that have taken centuries to grow can be destroyed in a single trawl pass, while sponges and anemones are crushed and lost. It’s obvious that such a harmful fishing method should not be allowed in protected areas.”
While Seas At Risk Senior Marine Policy Officer Tatiana Nuño added:
“Coming just months after Greece made a similar commitment, we are witnessing the emergence of a hopeful trend toward real, meaningful protection for our ocean. While Sweden and Greece are leading the way, other EU countries lag behind, allowing destructive practices to continue unchecked in their protected areas. The European Commission must act decisively to ensure that the EU aligns and complies with EU laws, ensuring ‘protected means protected.’”
Oceana in Europe Campaign Director Nicolas Fournier said:
“Sweden’s proposed law which will pave the way for prohibiting bottom trawling in marine protected areas is incredibly timely as momentum is growing ahead of the UN Ocean Conference in June, where the EU will be expected to show action to match their claims of international ocean leadership. This should also inspire the future EU Ocean Pact, led by Commissioner Kadis, as conserving ocean biodiversity havens directly benefits the EU blue economy, particularly in protecting fishers’ livelihoods and supporting coastal communities.”
