Are We Paying to Damage the Ocean?

Bottom trawling is one of the most common fishing methods in the world, but what if it costs society more than it earns in profit?

In this episode of How to Protect the Ocean, we look at a recent study on bottom trawling in Europe that found the total societal costs can be far higher than the profits generated, in some cases up to 90 times higher. Much of that hidden cost comes from carbon released when heavy fishing gear scrapes across the seafloor.

Industrial fishing is not just about what ends up on your plate. It is also about public subsidies, damaged habitats, lost carbon storage, bycatch, and whether taxpayers are helping fund practices that harm the ocean.

Ocean conservation depends on asking a harder question: are we measuring seafood by market price alone, or by its full cost to society?