Bottom Trawling May Irreparably Damage Seamount Habitats

What We Can't Sea

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Bottom trawling is a type of fishing that involves dragging a large net along the seafloor. The episode highlights the negative impacts of bottom trawling, urges viewers to take action to protect these important ecosystems.

It is often said that time heals all wounds, but what about the wounds we inflict on Mother Nature? Ocean ecosystems are vulnerable to damage from myriad threats, including underwater mining, pollution, and destructive fishing practices. Bottom trawling is a particularly destructive fishing method, in which a net is weighted down and dragged across the seafloor to indiscriminately collect animals living on or near the bottom of the ocean. In search of fish and crustaceans, bottom trawling lays waste to the seafloor, tearing up rocks and the animals living on them, thereby damaging critical components of the ecosystem other animals rely on for food and shelter.