Nations Negotiate Ban on Seamount Bottom Trawling
International leaders are working toward a resolution to phase out destructive deep-sea fishing by 2027.
Updated on Oct. 27, 2026 in Environmental
Live Poll
Should nations ban bottom trawling on seamounts to protect deep-sea biodiversity?
Nations are currently negotiating a United Nations resolution to phase out bottom trawling on international seamounts. The proposal aims to halt the use of heavy fishing gear that has caused irreversible damage to these delicate marine ecosystems.
Why it matters
Bottom trawling targets valuable species like orange roughy but leaves seamounts unable to fully recover even four decades after activity ceases. This initiative seeks to address a major barrier to global marine conservation efforts.
Only 1.5% of known seamounts are currently protected, while evidence shows that these environments remain unrecovered 40 years after trawling stops. Over 400 scientists signed the Seamounts Proclamation urging an end to the use of nets 80 to 200 metres wide.
The players
United Nations
An international organization currently facilitating negotiations on the Sustainable Fisheries Resolution.
The details
Trawlers use heavy nets held open by five-tonne metal doors to scrape slopes and summits, a practice that has decimated vulnerable marine life. While the Northwest Atlantic has prohibited this activity at fishable depths, these operations continue elsewhere.
Timeline
2006: The UN first called for the protection of vulnerable marine ecosystems.
2022: Nations signed the Global Biodiversity Framework.
2026: The High Seas Treaty came into effect.
Week of October 27, 2026: Nations are negotiating the Sustainable Fisheries Resolution.
End of 2027: Proposed deadline for phasing out international seamount trawling.
The Big Picture
This initiative follows the benchmarks established by the 2022 Global Biodiversity Framework. The resolution marks a practical shift toward meeting international ocean protection targets by addressing specific industrial practices.
Protecting these ecosystems could prevent the long-term collapse of deep-sea fish stocks, ensuring more sustainable commercial harvests in the future. Improved regulations may ultimately influence global seafood pricing and availability for consumers.
The takeaway
The move to end seamount trawling highlights the long-term environmental costs of high-seas industrial fishing. Protecting these remote habitats is essential for preserving marine biodiversity that requires decades to recover.
Further reading
Learn more about ongoing conservation efforts on our Environmental page.
Live Poll
Should nations ban bottom trawling on seamounts to protect deep-sea biodiversity?
