In addition to the fish that are the target of the exercise, dolphins, tortoises, sharks, sea birds and billions of fish and marine animals also get snared in the nets. According to the FAO an average of 30% of the total catch is dumped back into the sea either dead or seriously mutilated. That is what is called bycatch. It is wasteful and is a flaunting of the respect owed to nature. According to estimations, that also take account of the whales, dolphins, tortoises, birds and the total number of damaged marine animals on the ocean floor either damaged or killed by nets, 200 billion kilos of fish are killed by the fishing industry. Of these 200 billion kilos, maximum 80 billion kilos end up in our plates.

For example For each sellable 450g plaice, trawler nets kill 7 kilos of marine animals. Sea urchins, hermit crabs, sea stars and razor clams are killed. The heavy trawler nets and their chains bury themselves up to 20 cm deep in the sand in order to chase flatfish out of their hiding places.