Europe’s Bottom-Trawling Crisis and a Turkish Blueprint for Change

European-flagged bottom-trawlers receive €1.17 billion in taxpayer subsidies and emit an estimated 112.4 million tonnes of CO2 annually by disturbing carbon-rich seabed sediments. A National Geographic Pristine Seas study calculates that the practice imposes up to €16 billion per year in climate-related costs—90 times the industry’s €180 million annual profit. Approximately 75 % of the catch is discarded, representing €220 million in wasted marine life, while the sector supplies only 2 % of Europe’s animal protein and employs fewer than 20 000 workers. By contrast, small-scale fisheries generate roughly three times more jobs. Recent diesel price spikes linked to the Iran war forced at least half of the Dutch bottom-trawling fleet to remain in port, underscoring the practice’s fossil-fuel dependence.

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Designated Turkey’s first Marine Protected Area (MPA) in 2010, Gökova Bay closed nearly half of its 100-km coastline to bottom trawling. Enforcement relies on community-based marine rangers, many of whom are former fishers. The bay now hosts 73 % of Turkey’s fish species, supports breeding populations of endangered Mediterranean monk seals and sandbar sharks, and has seen a 300 % rise in local fishers’ income, according to Revive Our Ocean. In 2017 the site was named one of the world’s 16 best MPAs at the UN Ocean Conference, prompting Turkey to expand its network of protected zones.

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Professor Enric Sala, National Geographic Explorer in Residence and co-author of the study, frames bottom trawling as both an environmental disaster and an economic failure. Marine ranger Aysenur Ölmez, Turkey’s first female ranger, exemplifies local stewardship. The European Commission’s Marine Action Plan targets a phase-out of bottom trawling in EU MPAs by 2030. Greece announced a 2024 ban on trawling in all its MPAs, with Sweden following shortly after. Greenpeace has highlighted a “stark gap between political promises and reality at sea” in the United Kingdom.

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• €1.17 bn in subsidies for EU-flagged trawlers

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• 112.4 million t CO2 emitted per year

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• €16 bn annual societal cost vs. €180 m profit (90 ×)

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• 75 % waste rate, valued at €220 m annually

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• <20 000 direct jobs; small-scale fisheries generate ~3× more employment

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• Gökova Bay: 73 % of Turkey’s fish species, 300 % income increase for local fishers

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The European Commission intends to eliminate bottom trawling from EU MPAs by 2030, employing seasonal closures, license limits, quotas, or trip caps. Greece’s 2024 commitment to a full ban and Sweden’s subsequent pledge represent the first national-level prohibitions. In Belgium, Bulgaria, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Romania and Spain, over a quarter of trawling time still occurs within protected zones, while UK proposals progress slowly.

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The National Geographic report notes that many EU MPAs remain minimally protected, allowing continued trawling in carbon-rich sediments. Removing trawling from these areas could deliver immediate emission reductions and boost adjacent fisheries, but the report warns that without careful management, effort may simply shift to unprotected waters.

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• “Our study makes it clear that bottom trawling in European waters is not just an environmental disaster, it’s an economic failure,” — Professor Enric Sala, National Geographic Explorer in Residence

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• “I call the sea home. I call Gökova home. And to protect my home, I had to do something,” — Aysenur Ölmez, Marine Ranger

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• “While we ultimately need to reduce bottom trawling across Europe’s waters to unlock societal benefits, banning it in protected areas is a critical first step – a win for the climate, the ocean and even the fishing industry itself,” — Professor Enric Sala

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• “I am extremely hopeful.” — Aysenur Ölmez, Marine Ranger

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The EU’s 2030 phase-out timeline will require coordinated policy, monitoring, and enforcement mechanisms. Replicating Gökova’s community-based ranger model could address enforcement gaps identified in several member states. Ongoing assessments will be needed to track displacement effects and to ensure that emission cuts and ecosystem recovery translate into measurable benefits for European fisheries and coastal economies.

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