The European Union has introduced new fishing rules to protect the Dogger Bank, an emblematic Natura 2000 site in the waters of Germany and the Netherlands.
Starting 18 November 2025, fishing with mobile bottom contacting gears will be prohibited in specific areas within the site.
The European Commission said, in a press statement, that the objectives of these new conservation measures are to minimise disturbance to sandbanks and support their ecological integrity and improve the quality of the seabed habitat, including its typical and threatened species.
Typical species for the Dogger Bank include sea-pens, sand mason worm, brittle star, rayed trough shell and thornback ray.
A long process
While the UK took action by closing its part of the Dogger Bank to bottom trawling back in 2022, EU countries have been slower to implement similar measures.
These new EU measures stem from a joint recommendation submitted by EU countries in the North Sea, with the Netherlands and Germany in the lead.
In March 2024, scientists from the Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF) assessed the measures and concluded that they represent a positive step forward towards minimising the negative impacts of fishing activities on certain habitats and their biological communities.
Strengthening the protection of these marine areas is an obligation under the Habitats Directive and a key objective of the Marine Action Plan.
It is also a key outcome of the regionalisation process under the common fisheries policy, by which EU countries may propose measures to comply with EU environmental legislation.
These measures will also contribute to reaching the targets on restoration of marine ecosystems set under the Nature Restoration Regulation.
Currently, there are more than 3000 marine Natura 2000 sites, covering more than 9% of the total EU member states’ marine area.
They are the main contribution to the EU target of legally protecting at least 30% of EU marine area by 2030.
