In a groundbreaking move for marine conservation, Sweden has taken the first steps towards a potential ban on bottom trawling in its marine protected areas, a decision that has been widely welcomed by environmental organizations across Europe

NGOs including the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation, Seas At Risk, Oceana and ClientEarth have praised the proposal as a significant milestone in the fight to protect vulnerable marine ecosystems.

Despite the EU’s Habitats Directive requiring the protection of MPAs, bottom trawling remains prevalent in many areas across the continent.