Protect Our Catch Toolkit

 

Why Bottom Trawling?

Bottom trawling is a singularly destructive fishing method in which weighted trawl doors and nets — some as large as football fields — are forcefully dragged along the ocean floor, decimating everything in their path. These bottom trawls smother, scrape, and scar the seabed, indiscriminately razing marine ecosystems and sweeping up vulnerable species including dolphins, turtles, corals, juvenile fish, sharks, and rays in the process.

It’s bad for marine life — and people, too: In the EU, as much as 92% of all recorded fishing discards — that means wasted catch — come from bottom trawlers. Weakening the productivity of the entire European fisheries industry, bottom trawlers reduce fish diversity, abundance, and consume significantly more fuel per catch than other vessels.

And to add insult to injury, the overall carbon footprint of bottom-trawl fisheries is estimated to be 2.8 times higher than non-trawl fisheries.

Disrupting complex marine ecosystems throws our shared environment out of balance, depleting valuable fish stocks and threatening livelihoods, economies, cultures, recreation, and coastal protection alike.

Campaign Overview

Protect Our Catch is a new campaign backed by leading ocean NGOs and fishers across the EU that amplifies the voices of hundreds of thousands of citizen activists with a clear message:

Europe’s leaders must end bottom trawling in marine protected areas (MPAs).

At the heart of the campaign are two critical and interconnected priorities:

1) Supporting the future of small-scale fishing

2) Protecting and restoring marine ecosystems

With the decisive United Nations Ocean Conference on the horizon (held in Nice, France, from 9-13 June 2025), all eyes are on France to uphold its responsibilities as Europe’s leading maritime power and end the dangerous hypocrisy by ensuring that MPAs are truly protected. Doing so would generate critical momentum for other European member states to follow suit, building on Sweden and Greece’s recent moves to ban bottom trawling in their national MPAs.

The Ask

Let’s maximize our collective impact by spreading the word and rallying more voices to demand action. Share this campaign far and wide using the social graphics and captions below, and be sure to tag our partners so we can boost each other’s messages.

Every share, post, and conversation brings us closer to ending bottom trawling in Europe’s MPAs. Together, we can turn up the pressure on decision-makers and ensure our marine ecosystems — and the communities that depend on them — get the protection they deserve.

Here’s how you can help:

Post on social media using the graphics, tags, and sample captions below.

Email or message your network to encourage them to take action.

✍️ Sign and share the appeal: only.one/bottom-trawling

Tag key policymakers and organizations to increase visibility.

Hashtags: #ProtectOurCatch #BanBottomTrawling

Tags: @bloom_association @bluemarinefoundation @ejfoundation @OceanaEurope @onlyone @seasatrisk_ngo @fondationtaraocean

OPTION 1 EN

 

Caption

Bottom trawling is responsible for over 90% of fishing discards in the EU — hundreds of thousands of tons of wasted catch that devastate marine ecosystems and economies alike.

Today, ocean advocates are uniting to demand action: It’s time for EU leaders to **#**ProtectOurCatch, support traditional fishers, and #BanBottomTrawling in marine protected areas (MPAs).

Every day this destructive practice continues in Europe’s MPAs is another day our leaders put local jobs, communities, marine life, and the future of the fishing industry at risk.

Post as story:

 

OPTION 2 EN

Caption

Bottom trawling is responsible for over 90% of fishing discards in the EU — hundreds of thousands of tons of wasted catch that devastate marine ecosystems and economies alike.

Today, I’m joining ocean advocates and fishers across Europe to demand action: It’s time for EU leaders to #ProtectOurCatch, support traditional fishing, and #BanBottomTrawling in marine protected areas (MPAs).

Every day this destructive practice continues in Europe’s MPAs is another day our leaders put local jobs, communities, marine life, and the future of the fishing industry at risk.

Post as story:

OPTION 2 EN

OPTION 3 EN

 

Caption | President Macron

Today, I’m joining ocean advocates and fishers across France and the EU to ask a simple question: Will President Macron walk the talk and finally secure our marine protected areas (MPAs)? With the UN Ocean Conference in Nice just a few months away, now is the time for France to lead.

Yet bottom trawling and other destructive fishing practices continue to undermine small-scale French fishers and coastal communities, deepening inequality and economic instability.

Every day that bottom trawling continues in French MPAs, Macron sends a clear message: France’s prioritises industrial fleets that fish to excess for profit over small-scale French fishers who sustain local communities and national food security.

#ProtectOurCatch #BanBottomTrawling

Caption | Commissioner Kadis

Today, I’m joining ocean advocates across the EU to ask a simple question: Will Commissioner Kadis speak up for fishers and finally secure Europe’s marine protected areas (MPAs)?

With the UN Ocean Conference in Nice fast approaching, the months ahead provide a golden opportunity for bold leadership. Now is the time to align EU policy with its global commitments and restore trust in Europe’s efforts to manage, protect, and equitably share its marine ecosystems. #ProtectOurCatch and take action now to ensure sustainable fisheries and food security for all Europeans.

#ProtectOurCatch #BanBottomTrawling

Post as story: