EU Reduces Destructive Bottom Trawling in the Western Mediterranean - Oceana USA

Victory | December 12, 2024

EU Reduces Destructive Bottom Trawling in the Western Mediterranean

Fisheries Ministers in the European Union adopted new fishing measures for 2025, including substantial reductions in bottom trawling in the Western Mediterranean. Fishing days for trawlers will be reduced by 66% in Spanish and French waters (Gulf of Lion), and by 38% in Italian and French waters (Corsica). Oceana has campaigned to reduce fishing pressure in the region, particularly from bottom trawling — a destructive form of fishing that clear-cuts the seafloor — to help recover overexploited fish populations. Additionally, France, Spain, and Italy have adopted, for the first time, remedial measures to protect European hake in the Western Mediterranean.