BRUSSELS, Belgium, April 29, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - Five environmental 
organisations on Tuesday accused France, Germany and Italy of failing to stop 
destructive fishing, including bottom trawling, in protected areas in a legal 
complaint to the European Commission.

In their complaint, the organisations including Environmental Justice 
Foundation and ClientEarth, accused the three EU countries of "seriously and 
systemically failing to protect vulnerable marine ecosystems in violation of 
EU law".

Deep-sea bottom trawling -- where a weighted net is dragged along the seabed, 
seriously damaging ecosystems in the process -- risks wiping out ocean 
wildlife and hurting the future of fishing communities in Europe, the groups 
warned.

They found bottom trawling currently took place in 77 percent of France's 
protected marine Natura 2000 sites, in 85 percent of Germany's and in 44 
percent of Italy's sites.

"The joint complaint focuses on 15 marine Natura 2000 sites where extensive 
evidence shows bottom trawling continues unchecked on an industrial scale, 
damaging sensitive habitats such as reefs, seagrass beds, and sandbanks," the 
organisations said.

There is ongoing national legal action in France and Germany. ClientEarth has 
taken similar action in The Netherlands and Spain.

Under EU law, the commission can assess the complaint and either decide to do 
nothing or launch infringement proceedings against the member states 
concerned.

Although unlikely to lead to strong EU action, the complaint raises the issue 
ahead of next month's United Nations Ocean Conference in Nice, southeastern 
France.

"The complaint at the European level is a lengthy procedure, but it is a 
strategic lever to show the scale of the problem," said Marie Colombier of 
the Environmental Justice Foundation.

The EU calls on member states to phase out bottom fishing in all marine 
protected areas by 2030.