Trawling: The Hidden Scars Beneath the Waves
- Anna Casperin
- Jan 20
- 2 min read
You’d never see it from the waters surface, but what modern trawling does to our oceans is horrifying. A modern industrial bottom-trawler drags a massive net—often held open by a heavy chain or metal beam—across the seafloor. Everything in its path is smashed, scraped, and forced into the net behind it. Coral, sponges, seagrass meadows, and countless other lifeforms are destroyed in minutes, leaving behind an underwater wasteland.
These trawlers are usually targeting a single species, like cod or scallops, but the process is incredibly wasteful. More than three-quarters of what’s caught may be unwanted “bycatch”—fish, invertebrates, and even marine mammals that are thrown back dead or dying.
Every year, an area of ocean floor equivalent to the entire Amazon rainforest is trawled. And the same areas are often hit again and again. This repeated scraping not only wipes out habitats but also releases vast amounts of carbon dioxide stored in ocean sediments, fueling climate change.
Even worse, bottom trawling is still legal in many marine protected areas—places that are supposed to safeguard ocean life. It’s also heavily subsidized by governments, with around $20 billion a year spent supporting overfishing on an industrial scale.
And trawling isn’t the only destructive method out there. Longlines, miles of baited hooks that can stretch over 50 miles long, pull in millions of sharks every year. Massive walls of nets trap not only fish, but also turtles, dolphins, and any other animal unfortunate enough to cross their path. Humanity has already wiped out two-thirds of all large predatory fish.
In satellite imagery, you can actually see the scars left behind - long, pale trails of destruction etched across the seafloor. It’s a haunting reminder of what’s happening just out of sight.
I learned about this in the documentary Ocean with David Attenborough, and I highly recommend watching it. It’s eye-opening and beautifully filmed, a powerful reminder of why protecting our oceans matters.
Protecting marine life starts with awareness. By supporting sustainable seafood practices and stronger ocean protections, we can help give these fragile ecosystems a chance to recover.
How You Can Support Sustainable Seafood
Check for certifications like the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) blue label or Seafood Watch recommendations when buying fish.
Avoid species that are overfished or caught with destructive methods—such as trawling or longlining.
Choose local and seasonal seafood when possible; smaller fisheries often have lower environmental impact.
Ask questions at restaurants and markets about where and how the seafood was caught.
Reduce your consumption of seafood altogether, or try plant-based alternatives from time to time.
Support organizations fighting for stronger ocean protections and sustainable fishing policies.
Every small choice adds up. Together, we can help protect the extraordinary diversity of life that lies just beneath the waves.
Resources to Learn More:
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