ClientEarth and Oceana take Spanish government back to court over destructive bottom trawling in Marine Protected Areas
Press Release Date: November 20, 2025
Location: Madrid
Contact:
Irene Campmany | email: icampmany@oceana.org | tel.: +34 682 622 245
The environmental organisations took legal action against Spain for repeatedly issuing new fishing licences in Marine Protected Areas, despite earlier legal complaints
The NGOs warn that Spain’s international ocean protection commitments are meaningless as long as bottom trawling continues to be allowed in marine sanctuaries
ClientEarth and Oceana brought the Spanish Government to court again for systematically allowing destructive bottom trawling in zones of the ocean that have been designated as Marine Protected Areas (MPAs).
Spain’s Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, headed by Minister Luis Planas, issues yearly fishing licences allowing bottom trawling to take place in MPAs, without any assessment of the impacts for marine habitats and species, as required by law, and in the case of the Mediterranean, even in areas where the activity is banned under European regulations. This allows vessels to carry out destructive bottom trawling on vulnerable seabeds, which are home to sensitive and endangered species, unique ecosystems and habitats, and which are key to support fishing resources and mitigate climate change.
According to marine conservation lawyer at ClientEarth, Francesco Maletto: “These sites are called Marine Protected Areas for a reason: they should be safe from destructive practices. Yet, Spain continues to systematically allow bottom trawling in them, in clear breach of national and European conservation laws.”
Senior Policy Advisor at Oceana in Europe, Michael Sealey, states: “It is such a contradiction that the Fisheries Ministry is not deploying its best efforts to prevent destructive fishing in Marine Protected Areas, when science has proved that if properly managed they are excellent tools to support sustainable fisheries. It is time for Minister Luis Planas to act and stop turning a blind eye to this reality.”
In October 2024, ClientEarth and Oceana filed the first Court complaint against the Ministry related to this matter. However, after a year, the Fisheries Ministry continues issuing new licenses, still without ensuring that these fishing activities will not compromise the integrity of the marine sites and the vulnerable habitats they aim to protect.
Spain pledged to protect 30% of its waters by 2030, with 10% under strict protection, as part of its international biodiversity commitments. Yet, these targets cannot be achieved without adequate fishing management and if harmful bottom trawling continues to be systematically permitted in protected areas. In fact, Spain has until June next year to deliver adequate management plans for its Natura 2000 network and without fishing restrictions in these MPAs, the country will not meet its goals.
Bottom trawling is one of the most destructive fishing methods, as it involves dragging heavy nets across the seabed, destroying everything in its path, disturbing the sediments, and disrupting the ocean’s ability to act as a carbon sink. This threatens habitats such as seagrass meadows, cold-water coral reefs, and sponge beds, which are vital for marine biodiversity, as they support many marine organisms, and provide feeding grounds for whales, dolphins, sharks, turtles and groupers.
With the EU’s Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 requiring Member States to effectively protect their waters, Spain’s continued licensing of bottom trawling in MPAs sets a damaging precedent.
Notes to editors
- The European Commission has repeatedly stressed the need for Member States to ban bottom trawling in protected areas in line with the 1992 Habitats Directive, the Marine Strategy Framework Directive, and the Common Fisheries Policy. This position was reinforced by a May 2025 EU General Court ruling, which upheld restrictions on bottom trawling in North Sea Natura 2000 MPAs, confirming that governments are legally required to ensure genuine protection in these sites against the impacts of destructive fishing.
- This new lawsuit builds on a growing body of litigation across Europe, as governments face mounting pressure to uphold conservation laws and ensure that marine protected areas are more than just “paper parks.”
- The issue of bottom trawling in marine protected areas continues to be a structural problem across Europe. However, some countries have taken action to ban bottom trawling in their MPAs, including Denmark, Sweden and Greece.
- Spain is developing management plans for its protected areas under the EU-funded LIFE INTEMARES project. The project started in January 2017 and should have concluded in December 2024, but after a request from Spain, the European Union agreed to extend it until June 2026. This extension means a further delay in delivering the mandatory management plans to protect habitats and species against harming activities that should have been banned as a precautionary measure the moment the protected areas were declared.
