Bottom-trawling has already wiped out large sections of ocean life on the planet. As climate change melts sea ice which once kept the waters around Svalbard in the Norwegian Arctic safe from industry, destructive fishing fleets are pushing further north into the region, ignoring the consequences for this unique ecosystem.
Tens of thousands of us, acting together, have grabbed the attention of key players in the fishing industry. But long-term, sustainable Arctic protection lies in the hands of the Norwegian Government. Norway has a strong global reputation as a leader for sustainability and responsible stewardship of its lands and waters, but if fishing trawlers are allowed to exploit pristine parts of the Norwegian Arctic this summer, that could quickly change.
On the 23rd of May, the Norwegian Parliament has the chance to start a protection process that would put Svalbard off-limits to bottom trawlers and protect these vulnerable areas, once and for all. But they need to hear from us if they are going to act!
Greenpeace’ 2016 report “This Far, No Further – Protect the Arctic from Destructive Trawling” indicates that “… The icy waters of the northern Barents Sea are home to a huge diversity of marine life, including bowhead whales, walruses and polar bears, along with rare fish and invertebrates… Sea ice loss in the northern Barents Sea is turning it into a new hunting ground for industrial fishing. Fishing brings with it the threats of habitat degradation and bycatch, potentially wiping out marine life and putting this whole fragile ecosystem at risk…
One of the most environmentally destructive of all fishing methods is bottom trawling, used to catch fish such as cod and flatfish that live on or close to the seabed. The biggest bottom trawl nets measure about 70 metres in width and 100 metres in length. Weighted with heavy metal rollers, they smash and crush everything in their path. In the Barents Sea the brunt of this destruction is borne by seabed fauna including sea pens, sponges and corals that give food and shelter to vast numbers of other species, such as juvenile cod.
As the evidence of impacts makes clear, it is a matter of urgency that governments stop the expansion of fisheries and other extractive industries into previously ice-covered areas of the Arctic Ocean, not only within the international waters of the central Arctic, but also within the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of Arctic coastal states. It is also vital to establish an ecologically coherent, pan-Arctic network of MPAs and marine reserves…”.
This post is also available in: French