Members of The Transform Bottom Trawling Coalition are intensifying efforts to protect marine ecosystems and strengthen the rights of small-scale fishing communities. This growing mobilisation at national level is closely connected to a strengthening global evidence base on the impacts of destructive fishing practices.
In Kenya, CANCO brought together fisheries authorities and coastal communities to address the impacts of bottom trawling, including habitat degradation, declining fish stocks, and ongoing conflicts between artisanal fishers and industrial trawlers. Similarly, in Senegal, artisanal fishing organisations used national platforms to renew calls for protected fishing zones, stronger fisheries governance, and improved safety and transparency within the sector. Their advocacy highlights the lived realities of coastal communities facing increasing pressure on marine resources.
These national mobilisations are reinforced by the coalition’s new research which provides critical evidence that industrial bottom trawling contributes significantly to food insecurity and disproportionately impacts coastal communities worldwide. As coalition members prepare for key international events such as the European Maritime Day and the Our Ocean Conference in Kenya, advocacy efforts continue to center the voices, livelihoods, and knowledge of small-scale fishers in shaping sustainable ocean governance.
Coalition updates
Food security research published
Bottom trawling supplies more than a quarter of the world’s wild-caught fish – but who actually benefits? New TBT-commissioned research, published in March, exposes a stark global paradox: while industrial trawling increases seafood volumes, it frequently undermines the ability of coastal communities to access nutritious, affordable food. Drawing on nine case studies from around the world, the report shows how trawling displaces small-scale fishers, diverts nutrient-rich catch away from local markets, and deepens food insecurity – particularly for women and marginalised groups.
- Read the full report and case studies: https://transformbottomtrawling.org/publications/
- Watch the launch webinar: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYzJDmG2xY4
We are grateful to Dr Anna Schuhbauer and Professor U. Rashid Sumaila for leading this research, and to all the small-scale fishers who contributed to the case studies. The report has been widely read and shared by the press and individuals around the world.
Request for proposals for research on Inshore Exclusion Zones and Preferential Access Areas
We are now seeking consultant researchers for a second round of TBT-commissioned research, this time focused on the spatial management of industrial bottom trawling. The study will examine how, where, and why Inshore Exclusion Zones and Preferential Access Areas are effective – and what conditions make them work. The selected researcher will report on spatial restrictions across a selection of case study sites, gather perspectives from small-scale fishing communities about whether they are effective, and develop well-evidenced recommendations to strengthen management in practice.
Proposals are due by 22 May 2026. For full details and submission requirements, read the full Request for Proposals here.
Strengthening community advocacy against bottom trawling in Kenya
Community Action for Nature Conservation (CANCO) has made significant progress in advancing advocacy against destructive bottom trawling practices along the Kenyan coast. Through stakeholder engagements with Kilifi County Government, the Kenya Fisheries Service, and seven Beach Management Units, the project has worked towards strengthening collaboration between communities and fisheries authorities while generating critical evidence on governance gaps, illegal fishing practices, habitat degradation, gear destruction, and declining fish stocks linked to bottom trawling. A two-day participatory workshop and follow-up field interviews engaged 33 participants and highlighted the urgent need for stronger enforcement, improved reporting systems, formal conflict resolution mechanisms, and clearer zoning of fishing areas. Their engagement with both Kilifi County Government and Kenya Fisheries Services is aimed at strengthening collaboration on addressing bottom trawling challenges in the Malindi–Ungwana Bay that will hopefully transform these communities.
Senegal’s artisanal fishers made their voices heard
In April, coalition members in Senegal made their voices heard in fish markets, at fishing piers, and at the highest levels of government. On Senegal’s 66th Independence Day, the Union Nationale des Acteurs de la Pêche Artisanale du Sénégal (UNAPAS) held a landmark event blending cultural celebration with urgent political demands. They emphasised that protecting artisanal fishing is a cornerstone of national food security, urging the government to align decisions with the 2025-2029 Sectoral Fisheries Policy. Their “Djifer Declaration” calls for protected coastal zones for artisanal fishers, a ban on bottom trawling, improved safety at sea, and greater transparency in fleet management – particularly urgent as there are reports that species like white grouper (known locally as thiof) and sardinella have nearly vanished from local waters.
Regional Marine and Coastal Forum
The Transform Bottom Trawling Coalition took center stage at the 12th Regional Marine and Coastal Forum (FOMACO) in Mauritania last April. Our side event, “Elevating Community Voices for Sustainable Fisheries and Marine Conservation,” brought together a powerful delegation of coalition members from across West Africa.
A central theme was the urgent need to extend and enforce Inshore Exclusion Zones to protect the seabed from bottom trawling. As Ibrahima Sarr (Fédération Libre de la Pêche Artisanale, Mauritania) vividly noted, a single industrial trawler can destroy the equivalent of 500 football fields of seabed in one night: a scale of destruction that demands immediate policy intervention.
Representatives from Ghana (The Canoe and Fishing Gear Owners Association of Ghana – CaFGOAG) and Senegal (UNAPAS & La Coalition Nationale pour une Pêche Durable – CONAPED) emphasized the need to push industrial fleets beyond the 12-nautical-mile limit.
Oluwafunmilola Juliana Shelika (AWFISHNET) delivered a stirring call to recognize women as the backbone of the fisheries value chain, urging donors to invest directly in women-led initiatives as a strategic necessity for the sector.
The momentum generated at FOMACO confirmed that meaningful marine conservation depends on sustained collaboration between coastal communities, civil society, and decision-makers. Building on these powerful exchanges and shared commitments, the Coalition is continuing to bring community voices into key regional and international spaces over the coming months.
Upcoming Events
May: European Maritime Day, Cyprus
We will be attending European Maritime Day 2026 in Cyprus alongside a delegation of small-scale fishers to represent the Make Fishing Fair Campaign. Taking place on 21 – 22 May, it is an annual event where Europe’s maritime community meets to network, discuss and outline joint action on maritime affairs and sustainable blue economy. This year’s event is particularly significant, with announcements expected on the Common Fisheries Policy and the Ocean Act.
June: Our Ocean Conference, Kenya
In June 2026, Kenya will host the 11th Our Ocean Conference, marking the first time the conference has ever been held in Africa. Several Transform Bottom Trawling Coalition members will be attending, and we’re eager to make the most of this opportunity to connect, align, and collaborate in person.
If you’re planning to attend the Conference, we’d love to know so we can meet and foster collaboration – please inform us of your attendance using this link.
And if you will be attending the conference, please join us on Wednesday the 17th June (5-7pm) for our event ‘Artisanal Stewardship of the Seas: African Leadership for Sustainable Fisheries’ at the Mombasa Continental – to register for this event and for full details see here.
September: 3rd Small-Scale Fisheries Summit and 37th Committee on Fisheries (COFI), Italy
October: Ocean Impact Summit, Indonesia
Other news from around the world
Ghana: In April, Ghana announced the creation of its first Marine Protected Area, marking a major step to restore declining fish stocks and strengthen ocean conservation. The new MPA will include a fully protected core zone where no fishing will be allowed, alongside multi-use areas where fishing and other activities will be allowed but strictly regulated. This forms part of a broader national strategy to rebuild the country’s fisheries.
Indonesia: Indonesia has ratified International Labour Organization Convention 188 through a 2026 presidential regulation, aiming to strengthen legal protections and welfare standards for fishers nationwide. Announced on May 1 during International Workers’ Day in Jakarta, the move aligns working conditions with international standards and targets issues such as exploitation, unsafe conditions, forced labour and lack of contracts in the sector.
Europe: New peer-reviewed research states bottom trawling in European waters costs society up to €16 billion a year, far outweighing industry profits. The research outlines that atmospheric carbon dioxide emissions from disturbed seafloor sediments are a major contributor to these costs, concluding that net costs of bottom trawling to society are 90 times greater than the €180 million in profits raked in by the fishing industry each year.
A Dutch court has ruled that destructive bottom trawling cannot continue unchecked in marine protected areas, marking a major win for marine conservation groups including ClientEarth. The case centred on the Dogger Bank in the North Sea, where environmental organisations argued the Dutch government was failing to properly protect vulnerable marine habitats despite EU conservation laws. The ruling reinforces that protected areas must offer genuine protection from damaging fishing practices that harm seabeds, biodiversity and the ocean’s ability to store carbon, adding pressure on European governments to tighten enforcement and phase out bottom trawling in sensitive marine zones.
Globally, new research highlights global diversity of marine fishes caught in bottom trawl fisheries
TBT member Sarah Foster from Project Seahorse has published, along with several colleagues, a groundbreaking new study: the first-ever global inventory of fish species reported in bottom trawl fisheries catch. The study found that more than 3,000 marine fish species have been caught in bottom trawl fisheries, with estimates suggesting the true number could be nearly double. Drawing on more than 9,000 records spanning multiple decades, this work marks a significant step forward in understanding the full scope of bottom trawling’s reach. The paper is available here: Global diversity of marine fishes caught in bottom trawl fisheries | Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries | Springer Nature Link. It is not open access but Sarah has kindly provided the PDF that you can find here.
