Clarifying the Confusion: Super-Trawlers vs. Bottom Trawling
The Super-Trawler Debate: Why Accurate Reporting Matters
Discussions about industrial fishing are often clouded by oversimplification, with complex issues reduced to dramatic headlines or emotive imagery. While legitimate concerns exist about overfishing, habitat destruction, and bycatch, the reality is far more nuanced—and many fisheries, particularly in the UK, have made significant progress in sustainability.
Take the MSC-certified Cornish sardine and hake fisheries, which have drastically reduced marine mammal bycatch through acoustic deterrents, modified nets, and strict monitoring. Such advances prove that responsible fishing is possible when science, regulation, and industry collaboration align.
Yet this BBC report at the Ocean Conference in Nice repeated a common but misleading conflation—lumping super-trawlers (large pelagic vessels) together with bottom trawling. Worse still, the segment featured footage of lush, vibrant seabeds—scenes completely unrepresentative of areas routinely worked by bottom trawlers. Such imagery misleads the public, implying that these habitats are typical of trawling zones when, in reality, heavily trawled seabeds are far more barren.
Why the Distinction Matters
Super-trawlers target mid-water fish like mackerel and herring. Their nets, though enormous, operate well above the seabed and do not cause seafloor damage or disturb carbon-storing sediments.
Bottom trawling is an entirely different practice, dragging heavy gear across the ocean floor. While some fisheries have adopted less damaging methods (e.g., lighter gear, area closures, selective nets and larger mesh sizes), the practice remains controversial—and should not be confused with pelagic fishing.
Similarly, claims about marine mammal bycatch often lack context. Dolphins and porpoises are primarily at risk in certain mid-water or coastal fisheries, not bottom trawling (where interactions are rare). Many pelagic fleets, including some super-trawlers, now use mitigation measures, though enforcement and improvement remain essential.
The Danger of Misrepresentation
Using misleading visuals and conflating different fishing methods does a disservice to the debate. It obscures the real progress made by sustainable fisheries while diverting attention from the worst offenders. If we want effective ocean conservation, we need clarity, not sensationalism—and reporting that reflects the true state of our seas, not just the most dramatic clips.
