cover image: Exploring the viability of innovative fishing technologies as an alternative to bottom trawling in European marine protected areas :An environmental and socioeconomic analysis

Exploring the viability of innovative fishing technologies as an alternative to bottom trawling in European marine protected areas :An environmental and socioeconomic analysis

3 Jul 2024

In European marine environments, various fishing gears contact the seabed, including mobile bottomcontacting gears (MBCGs) towed across the seabed. This study evaluates innovative alternatives to bottom trawling in EU marine protected areas (MPAs), examining their effectiveness, feasibility, and environmental and socioeconomic impacts. The findings indicate that innovations in gear technology are insufficient to meet conservation goals. Voluntary adoption of these innovations is low, suggesting the need for mandatory regulations. Consequently, the study recommends excluding MBCGs from MPAs vulnerable to bottom fishing. No current innovations achieve lighter impacts without affecting catch rates, potentially increasing the overall environmental footprint as fishers increase effort to compensate for reduced efficiency.
innovation environmental impact economic analysis fishing industry social analysis common fisheries policy conservation of fish stocks eu waters protected area catch of fish fishing net fishing area fishing vessel framework decision integrated maritime policy

Authors

Directorate-General for Parliamentary Research Services, European Parliament, Bastardie, François

Organizations mentioned

Catalogue number
QA-03-24-064-EN-N
Citation
European Parliament, Directorate-General for Parliamentary Research Services, Bastardie, F., Exploring the viability of innovative fishing technologies as an alternative to bottom trawling in European marine protected areas – An environmental and socioeconomic analysis , European Parliament, 2024, https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2861/360141
DOI
https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2861/360141
ISBN
978-92-848-1954-6
Pages
94
Published in
Belgium
Themes
Fisheries policy

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