First Voluntary Closures to Deepwater Trawling Announced

Date: 1/10/2006

Four major fishing companies recently announced a voluntary halt to trawling in 11 deep-sea areas of the southern Indian Ocean. This will protect and conserve the bottom of the seafloor, benthos, associated fish fauna and related biodiversity in one of the largest marine protected area enclosures ever. ‘By setting aside an area almost equal to Australia’s Great Barrier Reef National Park, these businesses are sending a clear signal that they want to keep fish on people’s plates for generations to come,’ said Graham Patchell, a scientist with the newly formed Southern Indian Ocean Deepwater Fisher’s Association.