Sweden: Ban of bottom fishing in territorial waters

At a press conference on 4 June 2024, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and his ministers announced the government's plan to ban bottom trawling in marine protected areas (MPAs) and all Swedish territorial waters, extending up to 12 nautical miles. It is thus poised to become the second EU country after Greece to ban bottom fishing in marine protected areas. Bottom trawling, a practice criticized by NGOs for its negative impact on ecosystems, involves dragging heavy nets over the seabed, which damages ecosystems and releases carbon into the oceans.