Within a package of 37 new fishing industry initiatives, the Danish government has established trawl-free areas in 19% of its marine waters, with the decision introducing a bottom trawl ban in the Belt Sea, including Isefjord and several important areas in the Kattegat around existing Natura 2000 areas, as well as a large sea area off Djursland.
The government package also includes a suspension of the CO2 tax for fishing, whereby fishermen will receive full compensation for the CO2 tax in 2025, and then the tax will be suspended until 2029, when a gradual phasing-in will begin, with full phasing-in from 2030. Over DKK 800 million has been allocated for this.
In 2029, the proceeds from the CO2 tax will be returned to the industry in the form of investment support for the green transition and energy improvements.
The agreement further allocates DKK 120 million during the period for green conversion of fishing and aquaculture, and support schemes are being created to help fishermen where conversion is not an attractive option.
In a statement, Denmark’s Minister of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries Jacob Jensen said: “Danish fishing has been a cornerstone of our nation’s history and culture for generations, and I am therefore very pleased that with this agreement we are setting the course for a strong Danish fishing industry in the future. With the agreement, we suspend, among other things, the CO2 tax until 2029, so that fishermen have time, economic improvement and a real opportunity to adapt. In addition, we take responsibility for a better marine environment, where fisheries also have good conditions to develop and adapt to the green transition.”
Minister of the Environment Magnus Heunicke said that with the agreement, the government is now delivering “the greatest protection of the seabed in Denmark to date”.
He added: “It is a huge milestone for the sea. Large contiguous areas in the inland Danish waters will be trawl-free, so that the bottom animals and the ecosystem will have peace to recover, for the benefit of fish and porpoises, among other things. Now it is time to implement the agreement and continue to fight for a healthy and vibrant marine environment in Denmark.”
The bottom trawl ban has been lauded by NGOs, with Seas At Risk Senior Marine Policy Office Tatiana Nuño stating: “We welcome this important step by Denmark. Bottom trawling is the most destructive fishing practice for seabed ecosystems, threatening marine biodiversity across Europe, depleting fish stocks, and harming low-impact fishers. It’s time to act with urgency and follow the example of countries like Denmark, which are taking bold steps to protect marine ecosystems by banning bottom trawling. The EU has the perfect opportunity in the shape of the new European Ocean Pact, which can pave the way for new binding protections for vulnerable EU seas and the life they harbour.”
Danish Society for Nature Conservation President Maria Reumert Gjerding remarked: “The new trawl-free areas represent a major win for nature and signal a shift toward a new era in marine conservation. However, this should be seen only as a first step. The government has unfortunately allowed bottom trawling to continue in several marine protected areas, where bottom trawling has no place. It is crucial to eliminate this destructive practice from all Danish seas, especially from oxygen-depleted fjords and ecologically sensitive habitats.”
The implementation of the trawl-free areas will now be subject to a lengthy EU approval process, during which Denmark’s neighbouring countries have to commonly agree before the ban is fully enforced.
