EU prohibits bottom-contact fishing in Dogger Bank from November 2025 to protect key habitats and support marine restoration targets
The European Union has adopted new measures banning the use of mobile bottom-contact fishing gears in parts of the Dogger Bank, one of Europe’s most recognised marine habitats.
The prohibition will take effect from 18 November 2025 and applies to designated areas within the Dogger Bank Natura 2000 site located in German and Dutch waters.
The decision aims to minimise disturbance to the Dogger Bank’s sandbank habitats and support their long-term ecological recovery.
According to the European Commission, the conservation measures are designed to improve the condition of the seabed and protect species typical of the Dogger Bank ecosystem, including sea-pens, sand mason worm, brittle star, rayed trough shell and thornback ray.
The ban follows a joint recommendation developed under the regionalisation process of the Common Fisheries Policy, led by Germany and the Netherlands, with support from other North Sea countries. The move is part of the EU’s broader effort to ensure that fisheries management aligns with environmental protection laws, particularly the Habitats Directive and the EU Marine Action Plan.
In March 2024, the Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF) reviewed the proposal and concluded that the measures represent a “positive step forward” in reducing the negative impacts of bottom-contact fishing on sensitive seabed habitats and the species they support.
The European Commission stated that the Dogger Bank restrictions will also contribute to meeting the EU’s marine ecosystem restoration targets under the Nature Restoration Regulation.
Across the EU, more than 3,000 marine Natura 2000 sites now cover over 9% of Member States’ marine waters. The Commission views these protected areas as essential to achieving the bloc’s goal of legally safeguarding at least 30% of EU marine territory by 2030.
