Bottom trawling is the act of dragging a net across the sea floor. It sounds like just fishing with a net, but there is alot of problems this causes. It contributes to the overfishing problem of course, But the nets catch EVERYTHING in it's path, destroying the bottom of the sea floor. The UN Secretary General reported in 2006 that 95 percent of damage to seamount ecosystems worldwide is caused by deep sea bottom trawling. Also bottom trawling stirs up the ocean sediments. pesticides and such while causing plumes resulting in turbidity which decreases how much light can get to the kelp and other sea grasses.
All in all the Greenpeace website has really narrowed down what bottom trawling is.
'Bottom trawling involves dragging huge, heavy nets along the sea floor. Large metal plates and rubber wheels attached to these nets move along the bottom and crush nearly everything in their path.'
Greenpeace has decided to fight back at bottom trawling in Sweden. They have dumped 140-180 granite rocks (each 0.5-3 tons) in the Kattegat. When the bottom trawl nets try to scoop the area- the nets will rip. Genius.
