The hidden pressures of bottom trawling

Our new infographic breaks down the hidden pressures of bottom trawling. From seahorses to sharks, more than 3,000 fish species have been caught in bottom trawls, including many at risk of extinction, according to our latest study published in Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries.

Drawing on more than 9,000 records from 1895 to 2021, our researchers found that: 

🌊 The true number of species caught in bottom trawls could be nearly twice as high.

🌊 1 in 7 caught species with IUCN conservation assessments are currently Threatened or Near Threatened with extinction. 

🌊 Where reported, approximately 95% of species caught were not targeted by fisheries, yet 64% were kept anyway. 

These findings show the urgent need to rethink how bottom trawl catches are documented, assessed, and managed – not just for seahorses, but for ocean biodiversity and truly sustainable fisheries.

Learn more here: https://projectseahorse.org/bottom-trawling-catches-thousands-of-fish-species/ 

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