Seamounts are irreplaceable oases of biodiversity in the deep sea. Covering an estimated 21% of Earth’s seafloor, they support countless habitats and species. Despite their intrinsic value, seamounts have been the target of destructive fishing practices, such as bottom trawling, for decades.
Yet the tide is turning toward seamount protection. A growing wave of commitments to protect seamounts and other Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems from destructive fishing practices will feed into the 2026 United Nations’ (UN) Bottom Fisheries Workshop and Review. They affirm the importance and urgency of implementing a generation of UN General Assembly resolutions.
Recent decisions by major international bodies demonstrate an overwhelming global consensus that bottom trawling on seamounts is incompatible with marine biodiversity governance and protection.
Download the full brief for policymakers, “Leveraging Multilateral Pathways and International Commitments to Accelerate Seamount Protection” here.
More information on the UN Bottom Fisheries Review and a complete Advocacy Pack for policymakers is available here.