Session: S-47
Synthesizing the extent and impacts of trawl fishing across the globe

Trawl fishing is a controversial activity. Concern around the globe has focused on the impacts of trawl fishing on the environment. Yet, trawling is also argued to be important for global food security, providing over a third of the worlds fish catch. While attention on this fishing technique and its various opinions endures, there is a void of large-scale quantitative investigation of the actual extent and risks trawling poses to the marine... [ view more ]

Trawl fishing is a controversial activity. Concern around the globe has focused on the impacts of trawl fishing on the environment. Yet, trawling is also argued to be important for global food security, providing over a third of the worlds fish catch. While attention on this fishing technique and its various opinions endures, there is a void of large-scale quantitative investigation of the actual extent and risks trawling poses to the marine environment. In response, an international group of scientists have set out to address trawling best practices and provide clear management actions for conserving and protecting the sea’s biodiversity. This symposium presents the working group’s five phase project which: 1. collates trawl footprint information across the globe, 2. examines the impact and recover of seabed fauna via met-analyses, 3. conducts a risk assessment of habitats and benthic invertebrates, 4. tests the long-term sustainable yield of target species, and 5. identifies management options and industry practises that may improve the environmental performance of trawl fisheries. Key discussion points will explore the application of our results to help achieve sustainable oceanic habitats, and the transferability of our approaches to other fisheries and anthropogenic disturbances. To make marine science matter this symposium will highlight the need to quantitatively understand and express biodiversity risks for better directing conservation action.