Archive for ‘Species Extinction’

Bottom trawling can plough furrows up to 6m wide and 150cm deep, for many kilometres across the seabed. Some areas are trawled this way five times a year; they are turned over much more often than arable fields. This has had a disastrous effect on the habitat that extends from below to the seabed to a short distance above it, and for the species living there.

A recent survey found that running a global system of marine protected areas covering 30% of the oceans would cost between £6.5 and £7.5 billion a year. This is less than the £8 to £16 billion spent globally each year on subsidies to commercial fisheries.

Source: Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution-Turning the Tide: Addressing the Impact of Fisheries on the Marine Environment (PDF)

Date: Dec 2004