With the United Kingdom pledging to ban bottom trawling in 41 marine protected areas (MPAs) at the third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3) in Nice, and France proposing restrictions in fewer MPAs, environmental lawyers have called for swift implementation and enforcement of the measures.
At UNOC3, UK Environment Secretary Steve Reed announced a ban on bottom trawling covering more than 30,000 square kilometres – roughly half of English MPAs. Meanwhile, France announced strict protection measures for 4% of its mainland waters (15,000 square kilometres), banning harmful human activities - including bottom trawling - in these areas.
“This is an important turning point. For years we’ve argued that allowing bottom trawling in MPAs violates both the spirit and the letter of the law,” ClientEarth CEO Laura Clarke said. “We welcome these pledges at UNOC – and we would like to see more of them. We also need to see these bans effectively enforced. Urgent action is needed: protecting our ocean is a crucial pathway towards a healthy planet.”
With Sweden and Greece having also pledged to ban or strongly restrict bottom trawling in MPAs, ClientEarth is calling on all European countries to stop bottom trawling in these areas.
“Science and law are both clear that this practice must end entirely in sensitive protected areas in Europe. As UNOC3 begins, pressure is mounting on all nations to match rhetoric with action—and to ensure that protected areas are not just paper parks, but genuinely safe havens for marine life,” Clarke said.
