Economic cost of bottom trawling outweighs benefits, study finds

Fishing with bottom trawls in the sea is not only harmful to the environment but also uneconomic.

Researchers at the Agro Institute assessed the "environmental, economic and social performance of fishing fleets" and identified levers for improvement.

Economic cost of bottom trawling outweighs benefits, study finds

Ocean experts found that the economic costs mostly come from carbon emissions caused by churning up the seabed.

Bycatch, destroyed habitats, CO2 emissions: According to a survey of environmentalists, the hidden costs of fishing by trawl are enormous. Marine protected areas are also targeted.

According to a report, if trawls drag across the seabed, damage of up to ten billion euros will occur - in Europe alone, and not only the economic consequences are dramatic.

The value of bottom trawling in Europe

Commercial bottom trawl and dredge fisheries are active across much of Europe, and their geographic footprint is extensive. More than half of seabed area is trawled every year in some parts of Europe. But these fisheries remain contentious; significant ecological and economic damages have been...