A deeply destructive fishing practice is rife in Spanish waters, according to a new report from Oceana.
Campaigners for the ocean conservation NGO say that 64 per cent of Spain’s protected marine areas are being impacted by ‘bottom trawling’.
This is one of the most damaging fishing methods currently in use and involves dragging large, weighted nets across the seafloor. It is indiscriminate – sweeping up all marine species in its way as well as the target fish.
Trawling flies in the face of European legislation designed to safeguard the habitats of endangered marine species like loggerhead turtles. The Natura 2000 network gives special protections to areas of both terrestrial and marine importance across Europe.
Spain claims to have protected 13 per cent of its seas under the initiative. “However this could be a mirage since much of that surface is not protected in reality,” says Silvia García, senior marine scientist at Oceana in Europe.
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https://www.euronews.com/green/2021/12/02/what-is-bottom-trawling-destructive-fishing-practice-rife-in-spain-new-report-finds