UN member countries are negotiating this week to adopt a plan aimed at ending bottom trawling in seamounts located in international waters by the end of 2027. This action is recognized as a fundamental step towards protecting vulnerable marine habitats.
Damages Caused by Bottom Trawling
Bottom trawling involves dragging large, heavy nets across the sea floor to collect commercially valuable species such as orange roughy and toothfish. This fishing method not only affects the target species but also damages marine ecosystems. The fishing nets can span widths of 80 to 200 meters and are kept open by heavy metal doors weighing up to five tons.
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Seamounts, sometimes referred to as oases in the ocean, provide diverse habitats for marine creatures such as fish, turtles, and whales. However, bottom trawling leads to the destruction of these habitats and the extinction of marine species that live for centuries or even millennia. Scientific evidence shows that no seamount has fully recovered after bottom trawling has ceased.
Progress and Challenges
The United Nations first called for the protection of vulnerable marine ecosystems, including seamounts, in 2002. However, despite these efforts, nearly all seamounts in international waters remain at risk from bottom trawling. Currently, only 1.5 percent of seamounts are protected, and areas like the South Pacific continue to be fished.
In the past two years, environmental protection organizations, including the International Union for Conservation of Nature, have called for the protection of these seamounts. Additionally, new agreements regarding the protection of marine life in international waters have been adopted, which could help strengthen these efforts.
Countries such as Australia, which have consistently taken a strong stance against bottom trawling in international waters, play a significant role in these negotiations. This negotiation presents a unique opportunity to advance the protection of seamounts and reduce this harmful fishing practice.
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