Cousteau Condemns France’s Failure To Curb Bottom Trawling
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Alexandra Cousteau is calling out the French government for what she refers to as political inaction … More on bottom trawling Oceana In a powerful condemnation of what she calls “political inaction,” ocean advocate Alexandra Cousteau— granddaughter of legendary oceanographer Jacques Cousteau— has joined forces with Oceana to shine a light on France’s failure to curb one of the most destructive forms of industrial fishing— bottom trawling. “The ocean is my life’s work— it’s in my blood,” says Cousteau. “My grandfather Jacques-Yves Cousteau helped the world fall in love with the sea, and I’ve dedicated my life to building on that legacy. It’s not just about protecting what remains but also restoring what has been lost.” Bottom trawling is a destructive fishing method that involves dragging massive, weighted nets across the seafloor, unselectively scooping up marine life. Despite France positioning itself as a steward of marine protection and preparing to host the third United Nations Ocean Conference from June 9–13, a new Oceana report reveals that bottom trawling continues unabated in 42% of France’s marine protected areas (MPAs) in European waters, including some of the nation’s most prized Marine Nature Parks. This controversial practice— likened to razing a forest just to catch a few birds— tears up fragile seafloor habitats, indiscriminately kills marine organisms, releases carbon stored in ocean sediment, and undermines the very ecosystems these protections were designed to defend. “Political inaction has allowed destructive activities to continue in places that should be off-limits,” says Cousteau. “This is the time for President Macron to lead by example and end bottom trawling in France’s marine protected areas.” At the 2022 UN Biodiversity Conference, over 190 countries pledged to protect 30% of the ocean by 2030 to safeguard marine biodiversity, restore fish populations, and boost climate resilience. France, long seen as…
