The truth about bottom trawling

A common industrial fishing method, known as bottom trawling, has the same devastating impact on the ocean bottom as clearcutting forests has on the Earth's surface.

Scientists have discovered deep-sea coral reefs off the Aleutians containing over one hundred species of coral and sponge, comparable in size and structure to tropical coral reefs. The Aleutian Islands marine ecosystem is an exceptional area of biological productivity and diversity in part because of its complex seafloor habitat. As a result of bottom trawling in these areas, critical fish habitat in Alaska state waters is currently being destroyed and will not recover for centuries if ever.

Species Known to Associate with Deepwater Coral in Alaska
Rougheye rockfish
Redbanded rockfish
Shortraker rockfish
Sharpchin rockfish
Pacific ocean perch Dusky rockfish
Yelloweye rockfish
Pacific ocean perch
Northern rockfish
Flatfish (several) Atka mackerel
Golden king crab
Shrimp
Pacific cod
Walleye pollock
Greenling
Greenland turbot
Sablefish
Sources: Freese 2000; Krieger and Wing 2002; Heifetz 1999; Heifetz 2000;
Stone, pers. comm. 2002

Bottom Trawling Kills
Bottom trawling is the most destructive fishing method recorded and reported on coral and sponge in Alaska, effectively clearcutting large areas of coral and sponge habitat.




For additional information please visit and support the following websites:

The Deep Sea Conservation Coalition
Alaska Oceans Program

As always, the simple truth is you ... can't change the world but you can change you.