bottom trawling

Ocean advocates are drawing a direct parallel between bottom trawling and proposed deep-sea mining, arguing both destroy ecosystems that operate on geological timescales. The argument notes that corals grow just millimeters a year and deep-sea sediments take centuries to settle, meaning damage from these activities could persist for millennia. Critics say the ocean floor cannot recover at any pace relevant to human generations.

Discussion of David Attenborough's documentary Ocean is renewing anger over bottom trawling, with viewers describing footage of heavy trawl gear ploughing through seabeds and crushing ancient cold-water coral gardens as the most shocking images of environmental destruction they have seen. The film is pushing destructive fishing practices back into public debate.