Press release

NGOs take fight against bottom trawling in marine protected areas to Italy

9 September 2026

Environmental organisations ClientEarth and Legambiente, with the support of Blue Marine Foundation, have launched the latest in a stream of legal actions to tackle ineffective protection of marine protected areas (MPAs) across Europe and the destructive impacts caused by bottom trawling in these sites.  

The case targets Italian authorities, demanding stronger protections for seabeds and the species that rely on them in two key sites.

The first site, Tutela del Tursiops Truncatus, is in Tuscan waters and falls within the borders of the Pelagos Sanctuary, a cross-border conservation area managed jointly between France, Italy and Monaco and dedicated to the protection of marine mammals and their habitats in the Mediterranean. This flagship protected area is Europe’s biggest MPA and is meant to be a critical refuge for bottlenose dolphins. Organisations argue that it is little more than a ‘paper park’ whilst bottom trawling is generally allowed to continue within the site. The second site, Litorale di Gallipoli - Isola di Sant'Andrea, is in Apulian waters of the Ionian Sea. It hosts valuable seagrass meadows and reef habitats. Despite these conservation features, a large part of this site is unmapped, with bottom trawling taking place undisturbed.

Regional authorities are being urged to take required action on three key measures of ocean protection: failure to properly map ocean habitats; failure to conduct risk assessments for bottom trawling in protected areas, and failure to take preventative measures to properly tackle trawling’s destructive impacts.

Francesco Maletto, Ocean Lawyer at ClientEarth said: “Protected must mean protected. Our research shows that local authorities in Italy are ignoring their legal obligations to protect these ecologically significant sites. That’s simply not good enough. Our legal action is putting Italian authorities on notice:  the critical issue of destructive bottom trawling must be addressed.”

Antonio Nicoletti, Head of Protected Areas at Legambiente said: "We cannot call stretches of sea 'protected' when harmful fishing practices continue to erode the seabed, depleting marine biodiversity and fish stocks, and undermining the future of small-scale, sustainable fishing. We are calling for bottom trawling to be eliminated from marine protected areas by 2030, as set out in the EU's 2023 Action Plan for fisheries, and for the competent authorities to implement the measures required under the Habitats Directive to protect habitats and species — in particular in two marine sites within the Natura 2000 network: the Tutela del Tursiops Truncatus site in Tuscany, and the Litorale di Gallipoli – Isola di Sant'Andrea. This goal must also go hand in hand with growing the percentage of protected sea, in line with European targets. With this joint legal action, we are therefore calling on the Italian authorities for real bans, strict controls and rigorous management of marine protected areas. Effectively defending the seabeds of these two key sites means honouring Europe's commitments and securing a living future for our sea". 

Jean Luc Solandt, International Projects Lead at Blue Marine Foundation said: “The public would expect that marine protection means that all forms of fishing would be restricted. The very poor condition of marine species and habitats and fisheries in Italian seas requires urgent action. Recovered marine ecosystems are a tremendous benefit to people and wildlife. This is why we need to take action urgently.”

Italian seas are among the most heavily trawled in the Mediterranean: approximately 34% of all Mediterranean bottom trawlers fly the Italian flag.

Bottom trawling involves dragging large, weighted nets across the seabed to catch commercially valuable species that live near the seafloor, such as cod, hake, shrimp and octopus. It causes habitat destruction to vital and fragile ecosystems like reefs and Mediterranean seagrass and is a disaster for the ocean’s crucial role in storing carbon. Bottom trawling also affects marine mammals, fish populations and seabirds through bycatch and by degrading the habitats and food webs upon which they depend. 

Though Italy’s MPAs cover around 11% of the country’s waters, just 1% of them are effectively protected. This leaves Italy a long way from its ambitions to protect 30% of its waters through protected areas by 2030, in line with the global 30x30 target. The case aims to support  this objective by pushing for more effective management in Natura 2000 protected sites and tackling activities causing habitat deterioration.

ENDS

Notes to editors:

Legal basis: Under Article 6 of the EU Habitats Directive, authorities must prevent deterioration of designated habitats and significant disturbance of protected species. The obligation is preventive and applies even where damage is possible rather than already proven. 

In 2024, ClientEarth won a landmark ruling from the Italian Council of State which recognised the enforceability of Article 6(2) of the Habitats Directive, with authorities being ordered to put in place actual environmental measures to safeguard biodiversity and reverse habitat deterioration. 

Tutela del Tursiops Truncatus: This large marine protected area in Tuscany is designated primarily for the protection of the bottlenose dolphin, a species protected under the EU Habitats Directive. The site covers approximately 374,000 hectares within the Pelagos Sanctuary and contains several protected marine habitats, which support the ecosystems on which bottlenose dolphins depend.

Litorale di Gallipoli - Isola di Sant’Andrea: This Natura 2000 site in the Ionian Sea covers a vast marine area off the coast of Gallipoli and host a rich variety of vulnerable habitats, including Posidonia meadows and coralligenous reefs that support a high diversity of marine life. The site was expanded in 2020 to strengthen protection of its ecologically important marine habitats and species.  Nature 2000 is the EU-wide network of protected areas designed to protect vulnerable and threatened species and habitats under the Birds and Habitats Directives. More information can be found at the Biodiversity Information System for Europe site.

Pelagos Sanctuary: Further information about the Pelagos Sanctuary can be found on its website

Key goals at this stage include: 

1. Enforcing the obligation of  authorities in charge of Natura 2000 sites to adequately protect them.

2. Ensuring Italian authorities complete seabed habitat mapping and adopt effective management measures for Natura 2000 sites, bringing Italy into compliance with EU nature law and pushing forward the 30x30 goal.​

3. Requiring the authorities to conduct the required risk assessments on the impacts of bottom trawling in Natura 2000 sites and to adopt protective measures – potentially including  trawling restrictions. 

The case is part of a suite of litigation from all corners of Europe over bottom trawling in protected areas, including France, Spain, the Netherlands and Germany, aimed at  strengthening the protection of marine biodiversity and fragile habitats across European waters, and to ensure that MPAs are protected in practice, not just on paper. In May, the District Court of The Hague ruled that Dutch bottom trawlers were no longer allowed to fish without a permit and environmental assessment in the Dutch Dogger Bank MPA. This ruling made clear that European decision-makers have a legal responsibility to act to address this serious ocean threat.

About ClientEarth

ClientEarth works in over 50 countries across Africa, the Americas, Asia-Pacific and Europe. We shape, implement and enforce the law, to build a future for our planet in which people and nature can thrive. 

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.

About Legambiente

Legambiente is a non-profit association made up of citizens who care about protecting the environment in all its forms, quality of life, and a fairer, more just and inclusive society. It is a large, non-partisan movement of people who, through volunteering and direct participation, drive change for a better future. The association has built its mission on scientific environmentalism, gathering thousands of data points on the ecosystem that underpin every complaint and proposal it puts forward. For over 40 years, Legambiente has fought for a better world, combating pollution, illegality and injustice in the name of beauty, protection and a better quality of life: www.legambiente.it

About Blue Marine Foundation

Blue Marine Foundation is a UK based ocean conservation charity whose aim is to restore life in the ocean by securing marine protected areas and tackling overfishing. Blue Marine’s mission is to ensure the effective protection of at least 30 per cent of the ocean by 2030 and the sustainable management of the whole ocean. Blue Marine currently works in 30 countries around the world, with over 200 partners. Explore their work here: https://www.bluemarinefoundation.com