The EBFA has welcomed new seafloor litter limits set by the European Union designed to halt seabed pollution growth
Marine litter continues to be described by policymakers and scientists as one of the most serious environmental pressures facing the world’s oceans, with direct implications for marine wildlife, fisheries and human health.
Scientific estimates suggest that up to 12 million tonnes of plastic enter the oceans every year. Contrary to public perception, most of that material does not remain at the surface but sinks to the seabed, where it accumulates out of sight and largely outside regulatory focus.
Against that backdrop, the European Union has now agreed its first measurable limits on seafloor litter, a move framed by parts of the fishing sector as overdue recognition of both the scale of the problem and the role fishermen already play in documenting and removing marine debris.
Data Gap Filled By Fishing Activity
Despite years of political attention on marine litter, much of the available seabed data has historically come from waste recovered incidentally during bottom trawling, rather than from dedicated monitoring programmes.
Fishermen operating mobile bottom gear have been among the first to witness the growth of litter on the seabed, precisely because their fishing activity brings submerged waste back to the surface. At the same time, the fishing sector continues to face increasingly restrictive management measures aimed at stock recovery, while dealing with external pressures beyond its control, including marine pollution originating largely on land.
Poor waste management systems and public attitudes towards littering remain central drivers of the problem. Estimates consistently indicate that around 80 per cent of marine litter originates from land-based sources, raising questions over whether pressure is being applied in the right places.
EU Sets First Measurable Thresholds
The European Commission has now introduced, for the first time, quantitative thresholds for seafloor litter under the Marine Strategy Framework Directive.
In areas monitored through trawl surveys, there must be no increase in the amount of litter over time. In areas assessed visually or through image-based methods, litter density must not exceed one item per 1,000 square metres.
Member States are required to reflect these limits in their national marine strategies, bringing seabed litter formally into the same regulatory framework as biodiversity protection and other forms of marine pollution.
While described as a landmark step, the thresholds focus on preventing further deterioration rather than delivering mandatory reductions in already polluted areas.
Fishing Industry Welcomes Recognition, Questions Burden
The European Bottom Fishing Alliance has welcomed the introduction of seafloor litter limits, arguing that they acknowledge the practical contribution made by the fishing industry in addressing seabed pollution.
The organisation has pointed to previous EU measures on coastline litter, where reported levels have fallen sharply in recent years, as evidence that clear targets can deliver results if properly implemented.
Margot Angibaud, EBFA Secretariat, said: “fishers depend on healthy oceans to do their work. They are an active part of the solution, removing marine litter every time their gear crosses paths with it. Fishers are actively participating in specific projects such as ‘Fishing for Litter’ that already collected more than 13 million kilograms”.
The alliance argues that such efforts have taken place alongside significant reductions and restrictions already imposed on fishermen to rebuild stocks, adding to cumulative economic pressure on the sector.
Call For Incentives Rather Than Costs
Alongside welcoming the new thresholds, EBFA has warned against shifting additional administrative and financial burdens onto fishermen who remove litter incidentally during fishing operations.
The organisation has called for simplification of reporting requirements and for proper incentives or compensation mechanisms, arguing that fishermen should not be expected to absorb waste management costs arising from land-based pollution failures.
Without such measures, EBFA has suggested that goodwill-based participation risks being eroded, particularly among smaller operators already facing rising compliance costs.
International Dimension Remains Unresolved
EBFA has also urged EU institutions to address marine litter at international level, particularly through ongoing negotiations for a global plastics treaty.
Research routinely cited in policy discussions indicates that the vast majority of plastic entering the world’s oceans originates from a small number of major rivers, predominantly outside Europe. That reality underscores the limits of EU-only measures when confronting a globally sourced pollution problem.
The introduction of seafloor litter thresholds marks a shift towards measurable seabed standards. Whether they translate into tangible environmental improvement, or simply formalise existing conditions, will depend on how far Member States are willing to move from monitoring towards tackling the sources of marine pollution themselves.
