The Formulation of Regulations on the Prohibition of Bottom Trawling and the Possibility of Exceptions

The counter-proposal wants to open for exceptions to the trawl ban on a case-by-case basis, which weakens the protection of sea areas. The plan instead demands ambitious environmental goals that are followed up with strict legislation and strong protection of nature and coastal areas for biological diversity. Overexploitation of natural resources is explicitly pointed out as the cause of depletion.

• strict environmental legislationdecisive»miljömål som följs upp med skarp lagstiftning och praktiskt arbete.« (party programme ↗)“environmental goals that are followed up with strict legislation and practical work.”
• protection of nature areas»Skyddet av skogs- och strandområden är en viktig del för att värna den svenska allemansrätten och den biologiska mångfalden.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Protection of forests and coastal areas is an important part of preserving the Swedish tradition of free access to nature and biological diversity.”
• stop for overexploitation»Ett ständigt överutnyttjande av naturens resurser leder till kraftig utarmning av den biologiska mångfalden och växthusgasutsläpp.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“A constant overexploitation of natural resources leads to severe depletion of biological diversity and greenhouse gas emissions.”
• comprehensive ecosystem work»Sverige behöver också ett medvetet och heltäckande arbete med att skapa goda villkor för rika ekosystem« (party programme ↗)“Sweden also needs deliberate and comprehensive work to create good conditions for rich ecosystems”

The party programme makes clear that biological diversity must be protected and that natural resources and ecosystems are already being exploited beyond the limit of what is sustainable long-term, and that fishery policy shall be reformed with consumer and environmental considerations before producer interest. The counter-proposal wants in practice to widen the room for exceptions so that trawling can continue in protected areas. This goes against the plan's requirement for strong marine environment protection.

• protect biological diversitydecisive»biologiska mångfalden måste skyddas« (party programme ↗)“biological diversity must be protected”
• species extinction must be slowed»Samtidigt accelererar artdöden och den biologiska mångfalden hotas.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“At the same time species extinction is accelerating and biological diversity is under threat.”
• reformed fishery policy»en omläggning av jordbruks- och fiskeripolitiken« (party programme ↗)“a reform of agricultural and fishery policy”
• overexploited ecosystems»naturtillgångar och ekosystem utnyttjas i dag över gränsen för det långsiktigt hållbara« (party programme ↗)“natural resources and ecosystems are being exploited today beyond the limit of what is sustainable long-term”

The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.

The plan wants ecosystems in the seas to set the limits for fishing and that gentle fishing methods are adopted, and that destroyed coastal environments are recreated. The counter-proposal instead wants exceptions to the trawl ban to be tested case by case so that trawl fishing can continue on certain coastlines, which undermines the protection. Therefore, the plan speaks against the demand.

• gentle fishing methodsdecisive»låt ekosystemen i haven sätta gränserna för hur mycket fisk som får fångas, inför en ekosystembaserad havsförvaltning och gå över till skonsamma fiskemetoder.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“let ecosystems in the seas set the limits for how much fish may be caught, introduce ecosystem-based marine management and move to gentle fishing methods.”
• save coastal ecosystems»rädda kustens ekosystem — återskapa förstörda miljöer .« (2022 manifesto ↗)“save coastal ecosystems — recreate destroyed environments.”
• fishing-free areas»och införa fiskefria områden.« (party programme ↗)“and introduce fishing-free areas.”
• protect key marine biotopes»skydd av nyckelbiotoper i vatten och av områden« (party programme ↗)“protection of key biotopes in water and of areas”

flags: citat_migrerat

The stance rests on the quoted commitment in the party's own documents; the actual vote deviated. Click the quote to verify it in the document.

The plan explicitly says that harmful bottom trawling must not destroy the marine environment, the small-scale fishing industry or sport fishing. The counter-proposal instead wants exceptions from the trawl ban in protected marine areas to be reviewed case by case to enable continued trawling on certain coastal stretches, which loosens the protection. The plan's requirements for protected marine ecosystems and that it should be unprofitable to act as an environmental destroyer point in the opposite direction. The plan therefore rejects the requirement.

• stop for harmful bottom trawlingdecisive»Skadlig bottentrålning ska inte få förstöra för varken havsmiljön, den småskaliga fiskenäringen eller sportfisket.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Harmful bottom trawling must not be allowed to destroy either the marine environment, the small-scale fishing industry or sport fishing.”
• protect biological diversity»Att skydda den biologiska mångfalden är nödvändigt för att ekosystemen ska kunna fortleva.« (party programme ↗)“To protect biological diversity is necessary for ecosystems to be able to continue.”
• unprofitable to destroy the environment»Det ska alltid vara lönsamt att vara miljövårdande och olönsamt att agera miljöförstörande.« (party programme ↗)“It should always be profitable to be environmentally responsible and unprofitable to act as an environmental destroyer.”

The stance rests on the quoted commitment in the party's own documents; the actual vote deviated. Click the quote to verify it in the document.

The election manifesto wishes to limit industrial fishing and protect the most valuable sea areas as marine reserves, and the party programme wishes to see more protected contiguous areas also in waters. Fishing shall be kept within scientific assessments of what stocks can sustain. To allow exceptions to the trawl ban on a case-by-case basis undermines that protection, even though the plan values cooperation with local communities.

• marine reserves, less industrial fishingdecisive»industrifisket ska begränsas och de mest värdefulla havsområdena skyddas som marina reservat« (2022 manifesto ↗)“industrial fishing shall be limited and the most valuable sea areas protected as marine reserves”
• more protected sea areas»sammanhängande områden både på land och i vatten.« (party programme ↗)“contiguous areas both on land and in water.”
• sustainable fishing within science»Fisket måste bedrivas på ett långsiktigt hållbart sätt och hålla sig inom ramen för vetenskapliga« (party programme ↗)“Fishing must be conducted in a long-term sustainable way and remain within the framework of scientific”
• cooperation with local communities»markägare och lokalbefolkning i naturvård och viltförvaltning.« (party programme ↗)“landowners and local communities in nature conservation and wildlife management.”

The plan requires both a viable fishing industry and that utilization occur according to the stewardship principle, and it wants environmental policy to be flexible enough to adapt to unique local conditions. To test exceptions from the trawl ban case by case based on each area's preconditions, in consultation with affected rural populations, aligns with this balancing. The plan says nothing about bottom trawling specifically, so confidence is low.

• viable fishing industrydecisive»Den svenska fiskerinäringen måste ges förutsättningar att även i framtiden vara livskraftig.« (party programme ↗)“The Swedish fishing industry must be given preconditions to also in the future be viable.”
• flexible environmental policy»så flexibel att varje land och region kan anpassa åtgärder efter sina unika förhållanden.« (party programme ↗)“so flexible that each country and region can adapt measures to its unique conditions.”
• consultation with local populations»måste utformas i samråd med den berörda landsbygdsbefolkningen.« (party programme ↗)“must be designed in consultation with the affected rural population.”
• stewardship in fishing»med hänsyn till förvaltarskapsprincipen.« (party programme ↗)“with regard to the stewardship principle.”

The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.

The counter-proposal requires that exceptions to the ban on bottom trawling in protected areas are decided case by case, with reference to continued coastal trawling. The plan's commitment goes in the opposite direction: the trawl limit shall be moved from four to twelve nautical miles because coastal trawling has contributed to depleted stocks and that development must be broken. The plan therefore rejects the demand for more room for exceptions.

• moved trawl limitdecisive»Stävja minskningen av sill-/strömmingsbestånden i Östersjön genom att flytta gränsen för trålfiske från fyra till tolv nautiska mil« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Stem the decline of herring/sprat stocks in the Baltic by moving the limit for trawling from four to twelve nautical miles”
• limit coastal trawling»Fiskerinäringen har drabbats hårt av minskade bestånd på senare år inte minst på grund av det kustnära trålfisket – den utvecklingen måste brytas.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The fishing industry has been hard hit by depleted stocks in recent years not least because of coastal trawling – that development must be broken.”
• better marine environment»Moderaterna vill vidta kraftfulla åtgärder för att förbättra havs- och vattenmiljön.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Moderates want to take forceful measures to improve marine and water environment.”
• counteract overfishing»utfiskning slår mot en levande havsmiljö« (party programme ↗)“overfishing strikes against a living marine environment”

The plan states that the marine and water environment must be given clearer priority before excessive fishing and that the pace of work on the Baltic Sea's marine environment should increase. The counter-proposal instead wants exceptions to the trawl ban to be tested case by case with reference to continued trawling on certain coastal stretches, which undermines the protection of sensitive areas. The plan's prioritization of the marine environment thus speaks against the requirement, even if the plan otherwise values voluntary action and co-management in environmental work.

• marine environment before intensive fishingdecisive»Vår havs- och vattenmiljö måste prioriteras tydligare framför ett allt för intensivt fiske och omfattande vindkraftsutbyggnad.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Our marine and water environment must be given clearer priority before excessive fishing and extensive wind power expansion.”
• restored marine environment»Öka takten i arbetet med att återställa havsmiljön i Östersjön« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Increase the pace of work to restore the marine environment in the Baltic Sea”
• voluntary action under responsibility»Erfarenheten visar att frivillighet under ansvar fungerar bäst för att skapa miljövärden, stöttat med kompetent och hjälpande rådgivning.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Experience shows that voluntary action under responsibility works best to create environmental values, supported by competent and helpful advice.”