Greece has become the first country in Europe to prohibit bottom trawling in all national marine parks and protected areas.
Bottom trawling by industrial boats is a very harmful fishing practice that drags heavy nets across the bottom, destroying ecosystems and emitting carbon into the ocean and atmosphere.
According to The Guardian, Greece’s government plans to invest 780 million euros to safeguard its “diverse and unique marine ecosystems” while focusing on the ban against bottom trawling.
Greece Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, told delegates at the ‘Our Ocean’ conference in Athens on Tuesday that the country plans to ban bottom trolling within two years and has established two additional marine national parks, increasing the size of the marine protected areas by 80%.
“We will ban bottom trawling in our national parks by 2026 and in all marine protected areas by 2030,” Mitsotakis said.
Oceana, together with other non-governmental organisations (NGOs) such as the Marine Conservation Society and Seas at Risk, has urged the EU to take firmer action against members who continue to allow bottom trawling in marine protected zones. According to a March assessment, the harmful practice continues in 90% of the EU’s offshore MPAs.
Source: The Guardian
