The Appalling Effects of Bottom Trawling

The Appalling Effects of Bottom Trawling

Bycatch

Up to 75% of the total catch, known as by-catch is discarded, dumped back at sea, dead for the most part.  This might even include sharks, certainly the smaller ones such as young Tope or Dogfish, mammals, dolphins and turtles.

Vegetation destruction

Coral destruction

Coral is found all around the world, much is still undiscovered.  All coral is already under threat from global warming.  The “white sand” beaches of Western Scotland are coral.  It takes tens of years to grow and is smashed and destroyed in seconds by bottom trawling.

Carbon release

Watch the video again.  Sediment disturbance is one of the appalling effects of bottom trawling.  Ocean floor sediment stores billions of tonnes of carbon.  Bottom trawling releases that carbon.

Breeding ground destruction

The Appalling Effects of Bottom Trawling

We have of course covered this topic before in Bottom Trawling Destroys the Seabed and Must End Now

The film trailer is available here https://www.oceanfilm.net/videos/