A decree has been issued by the Portuguese government, which bans all deep-sea fishing in an area spanning 2,280,000 square kilometres, to promote sustainable fisheries and the conservation of deep-sea ecosystems

The zone where bottom fishing has been banned

The zone where bottom fishing has been banned

Longlining is the exception, which is authorised under certain conditions.

Oceana has applauded this decision, and is calling for a ban on trawling across the entire EU fleet and internationally.

“Portugal has made a significant step to ensure that its fleet is exploiting deep-sea ecosystems sustainably. We hope that this measure, which will affect an area four times the size of the Iberian Peninsula, inspires other countries with fishing interests in the area to adopt similar bans,” stated Xavier Pastor, executive director of Oceana in Europe. “Portugal should take it a step further by banning bottom trawling and other forms of destructive fishing in waters where they are more commonly used, and adopting several other conservation measures.”

The decree will also contribute to building up the information database on Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems (VMEs) by establishing a requirement to collect samples of accidentally captured corals and sponges. VME’s are unique and fragile biodiversity reservoirs that play a critical role in hosting breeding, feeding, and sheltering grounds for many other organisms. While some can reach over a hundred years old, they grow very slowly, which makes them very sensitive to the impacts of fishing and particularly to trawling.

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