NGOs Sue French Government Over Trawling in Marine Protected Areas

Two NGOs have taken legal action against the French government for allegedly failing to safeguard Natura 2000 Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) against fishing using bottom trawling.

The Natura 2000 network of protected areas is designed to safeguard vulnerable habitats and species in the EU. EU law requires Member States to take action to maintain and restore protected habitats and species at a favorable conservation status within Natura 2000 Special Areas of Conservation (SAC). This includes obligations for Member States to prevent environmental damage, and to assess risks posed by human activities before authorising them within the sites.

The Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF) and Défense des Milieux Aquatiques (DMA) claim that France has failed to prohibit bottom trawling in the Chausey MPA, and to the Tribunal Administratif de Rouen for the Bancs des Flandres MPA, two protected areas in the English Channel. They are taking their case to the country’s highest court, the Conseil d’Etat.

Bottom trawling, a fishing method that involves dragging weighted nets across the seabed, is a leading cause of habitat destruction in MPAs. It inflicts lasting damage on seabed ecosystems. Yet the NGOs said this practice is still carried out in 77% of marine Natura 2000 sites, in violation of national and EU environmental law. They said over the last five years, approximately 200,000 hours of trawling were recorded every year in French MPAs, when there should be none.

“We are initiating this legal action because, even though the Natura 2000 network covers 35% of France’s maritime territory, 90% of the species and habitats it protects remain under threat, making these MPAs nothing more than lines on a map”, said Marie Colombier, Senior Ocean Campaigner at EJF. “It’s high time the responsible authorities in France act to protect France’s invaluable marine biodiversity hotspots. How else can France lead global action for our blue planet and credibly host the upcoming UN Ocean Conference in Nice?”

A study released for COP16 said that, two years after the world’s nations committed to conserve at least 30% of the Earth’s land, freshwater, and ocean by 2030, only 2.8% of the ocean is assessed as likely to be effectively protected.

“Proper enforcement of existing regulations in MPAs could revitalise small-scale coastal fishing, a low-impact and sustainable practice, and boost local economies”, said Philippe Garcia, President of DMA. “Yet, current policies prioritise short-term profits and overexploitation, leaving ecosystems degraded and fishermen without a clear path forward. Sustainable fisheries depend on healthy marine ecosystems, and without effective action, the sector’s future remains at risk.”