A new report revealing the extent of destructive fishing practices taking place in one of the best-known marine protected areas of France has been launched this week, just days before the nation plays host to the third United Nations Ocean Conference this June.

Produced by Oceana, the new analytical report takes a deep dive into the fishing activity recorded in France’s six Marine Nature Parks (MNPs) in European waters over the last year.

According to that analysis, more than 100 bottom-trawling vessels appeared to spend over 17,000 hours fishing within these protected areas. It’s the equivalent to one vessel fishing non-stop, 24-hours-a-day for nearly two years straight.

“Bottom-trawling is one of the most destructive and wasteful practices taking place in our ocean today,” said Dr Daniel Pauly, Oceana Board Member and Founder of the Sea Around Us Project. “These massive, weighted nets bulldoze the ocean floor, destroying everything in their path and remobilising carbon stored in the seabed.

“You cannot destroy areas and call them protected. We don’t need more bulldozed tracks on the seafloor. We need protected areas that benefit people and nature.”

The analysis highlights three case studies of apparent bottom-trawling inside French MNPs. These areas had been established because of their unique biodiversity.

Using the Global Fishing Watch mapping platform – a public tool that uses data from Automatic Identification Systems on vessels to track apparent fishing efforts, Oceana found that 70% of the trawlers identified in the analysis were French, while the remaining 30% came from countries including Belgium, Spain, the Netherlands, Germany, Ireland, and Italy. 

Some of the vessels deployed use particularly heavy trawls called “beam trawls” that are especially damaging to the seafloor and marine life.

Now, as world leaders rush to deliver their commitment to protect at least 30% of the ocean by 2030, Oceana is calling on governments to ensure that destructive activities like bottom trawling are not allowed in marine protected areas. 

France – which has the second largest Exclusive Economic Zone in the world – claims to have already protected more than 30% of its waters. These are protections accused by NGOs and ocean advocates as little more than ‘written on paper only’. 

In fact, across France’s European waters, bottom trawling is widespread, while most protected areas are classified as ‘not regulated’ or ‘unprotected’. In fact, 98% of France’s marine protected areas allow destructive activities and only 0.03% are strictly protected, meaning they’re free from all extractive uses.

“We found bottom trawling in nearly half of France’s marine protected areas in European waters, including in its iconic Marine Nature Parks,” said Nicolas Fournier, Oceana campaign director for marine protection in Europe. “This is a problem President Macron can no longer ignore.

“France needs to go from words to action – and substantiate its claim of achieving 30×30 by actually protecting its marine treasures from destructive fishing. Doing so would secure a thriving ocean, mitigate climate change impacts, and support the jobs and livelihoods of fishers who rely on a healthy ocean.”

The benefits of well-protected marine areas, especially for coastal communities and small-scale fishers, have been proven to be manifold. Low-impact sustainable fishing practices typically thrive in well-managed marine protected areas, but bottom trawling and other destructive activities jeopardize these important areas, marine life, and those who rely on a healthy ocean.

In the Gulf of Lion, for example, large trawlers could threaten livelihoods of small-scale fishers by destroying important fish habitats, while also targeting the same fish but in much larger quantities.

“The UN Ocean Conference is an opportunity for governments to turn commitments into action,” said Alexandra Cousteau, Oceana senior advisor and co-founder of Oceans 2050. “Allowing bottom-trawling in marine protected areas makes a mockery of the very concept of protection.

“If countries are serious about achieving 30×30, they must start with banning bottom trawling in protected areas once and for all. President Macron and France have an opportunity to lead. The time to act is now.”

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