Bottom Trawling
What Is Bottom Trawling?
Bottom trawling is a destructive fishing method where massive nets are dragged across the seafloor, scraping up everything in their path. This technique targets species like hake and shrimp but destroys entire habitats in the process. Coral reefs, sponges, and seabed ecosystems are reduced to rubble after a single trawl. Once gone, these deep habitats may take centuries to recover. Bottom trawling is considered one of the most damaging fishing practices on Earth.
Destroying the Ocean Floor
Trawling nets act like bulldozers, flattening seafloor habitats that provide shelter and feeding grounds for countless marine species. Fragile organisms like corals and sponges are ripped apart and cannot regrow quickly. These habitats are often critical breeding and nursery areas for fish populations. Once destroyed, the ecosystem may never return to its original state. This ecological destruction mirrors the concerns raised about deep-sea mining, showing how both industries exploit the seabed at terrible cost.
Fueling the Overfishing Crisis
Bottom trawling contributes to overfishing by removing vast amounts of non-target species and juvenile fish. Entire schools are wiped out, leaving the population unable to recover. This undermines food security and worsens the strain on oceans already pushed to the brink. In Namibia, trawling has reduced key species that once supported thriving fisheries and exports. It connects directly with the overfishing crisis already threatening marine ecosystems and coastal communities.
Collateral Damage: Seabirds at Risk
Although seabirds are not the target, bottom trawling threatens them through bycatch and food loss. Nets often discard unwanted fish, leaving fewer prey species like sardines and anchovies available for African penguins and other endangered seabirds. In Namibia, seabird populations have already suffered massive declines due to collapsing forage fish stocks. Bottom trawling deepens this crisis by removing food that should sustain marine wildlife. Linking this to our work on endangered seabirds, the connection is clear: trawling starves the ecosystem from the bottom up.
Carbon and Climate Concerns
Dragging nets across the seabed doesn’t just destroy habitats — it also disturbs carbon stored in ocean sediments. Scientists estimate that bottom trawling releases more CO₂ annually than the global aviation industry. This means trawling contributes not only to biodiversity loss but also to climate change. In Namibia, where the Benguela Current plays a key role in the global climate system, protecting sediments is especially important. The ocean floor should be a carbon sink, not a carbon source.
Short-Term Profit, Long-Term Loss
Industrial fleets often justify bottom trawling by pointing to economic benefits and exports. But these profits are short-lived, while the ecological damage lasts for centuries. Coastal communities that depend on healthy fish stocks are the ones who ultimately pay the price. Once ecosystems collapse, jobs and fisheries collapse with them. Just like in deep-sea mining, the cost of short-term exploitation is borne by future generations.
A Call to End Bottom Trawling
Bottom trawling is banned in many marine protected areas, yet it continues on a global scale. Namibia and other countries now face a choice: protect marine life or allow destructive practices to continue unchecked. Ending bottom trawling would benefit endangered seabirds, restore fish populations, and safeguard marine ecosystems. Just as with deep-sea mining, the solution lies in saying no to practices that sacrifice the ocean for short-term gain.
Protecting the seabed is vital for the health of our oceans and all who depend on them.
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