Environmental Coalition Launches Legal Offensive Against Trawling

The alliance, featuring groups such as ClientEarth, Oceana, and Seas At Risk, argues that Europe possesses some of the world’s most robust nature directives, yet enforcement remains largely performative. While the EU has pledged to protect 30 percent of its seas by 2030, the European Environment Agency reports that 93 percent of marine ecosystems face significant human pressure, with 79 percent of the coastal seabed physically disturbed by industrial fishing equipment.

Legal pressure is mounting after a year of formal complaints filed against France, Germany, Italy, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Spain regarding Natura 2000 sites. Proponents of the ban suggest that a blanket prohibition on bottom trawling would simplify enforcement and reduce monitoring costs for the bloc. Citing recent judicial victories—including a ruling against trawling at the Dogger Bank, known as the nursery of the North Sea—the coalition is now leveraging the current Brussels focus on legislative simplification to argue that a total ban is the most efficient path forward. As the commission evaluates the Birds and Habitats Directives, the coalition is positioning itself to ensure these protections are strengthened rather than eroded.