Photo: MARE/TNC
Trawl Impact And Recovery Study
Bottom trawl fishermen drag large, weighed nets along the sea bottom to get their catch. Unfortunately, this practice scours seafloor habitat and traps fish and other creatures not targeted by the fishermen. In some places, it has severely degraded seafloor communities and depleted fish populations.
MARE is partnering with The Nature Conservancy, NOAA, California State University Monterey Bay, and local fishermen to assess trawling impacts on seafloor habitats and recovery patterns over time. This study is funded by private funds and the California Ocean Protection Council through the State Coastal Conservancy. The study will compare the impacts of trawling with control (untrawled) sites and help to inform best management practices for sustainable trawling.
Learn more about this study in High Country News, The San Luis Obispo Tribune, on SIMoN, and on The Nature Conservancy’s website.