Media reaction

Environment lawyers “heartened” by yet another EU ruling on bottom trawling

11 June 2025

The EU's General Court has issued its second and third rulings within a month confirming protection for crucial ocean ecosystems from harmful fishing gear.

The Spanish government and a group of Spanish fishing industry actors had filed separate legal actions with the European Commission to contest an EU rule that outlawed bottom trawling in certain areas of the north-east Atlantic. 

However, the attempts to annul this regulation have failed. The General Court ruled that 'Vulnerable Marine Environments' merit blanket protection from large-scale, destructive fishing equipment. 

ClientEarth lawyers say the decision is likely to have yet further positive influence on litigation in all corners of the EU concerning bottom trawling.

ClientEarth ocean lawyer Francesco Maletto said: "The fishing industry relies on the future of the ocean - and that means it’s vital to comprehensively protect areas that fish and other sea creatures rely on for sanctuary and to reproduce. 

"There is now too much evidence about the damage wrought by wide-scale, repeat bottom trawling to ignore. We are heartened to see the EU's General Court again uphold the principles of legal protection, keeping these areas of the ocean safe from harm, and ensuring healthy fish and marine wildlife populations."

ClientEarth and others have launched legal action against multiple national governments, as well as bringing complaints to the EU itself, over the failure to tackle harmful fishing taking place in Marine Protected Areas. At last count, no EU country had a definitive roadmap to ban bottom trawling in zones designated for official protection. 

In the wake of the launch of Ocean with Attenborough, whose footage of bottom trawling has shocked the world, action is coming. Commitments towards restricting bottom trawling have been emerging from UNOC this week - the UK and France have made initial commitments to crack down on the practice. 

Maletto added: "It's not only the fishing industry that needs the ocean to survive - we all do. Leaders from across the world are in Nice right now making pledges to give the ocean space to recover. We need to see more of these - and we need to see them enforced in the water when representatives are back behind their desks."

ENDS

Notes to editors:

  • Litigation at national level has been launched by ClientEarth and others in France, Spain, the Netherlands, Sweden and Germany. Environmental Justice Foundation and other partners launched a separate legal complaint in April, pointing to systemic bottom trawling in MPAs in France, Germany and Italy.  ClientEarth then launched a similar complaint in June, focusing on Spain, Germany and Denmark.

  •  

    The EU’s General Court ruled last month in a German case that Marine Protected Areas must be protected from bottom trawling.

About ClientEarth

ClientEarth is a non-profit organisation that uses the law to create systemic change that protects the Earth for – and with – its inhabitants. We are tackling climate change, protecting nature and stopping pollution, with partners and citizens around the globe. We hold industry and governments to account, and defend everyone’s right to a healthy world. From our offices in Europe, Asia and the USA we shape, implement and enforce the law, to build a future for our planet in which people and nature can thrive together.