Report finds nearly 2,000 tonnes of fish illegally dumped at sea
Friday 9th October 2026 on 20:01 in
Denmark
Nearly 6,700 tonnes of fish and shellfish caught by parts of Denmark’s fishing fleet were thrown back into the sea in 2025, including almost 2,000 tonnes discarded illegally, according to a new report from the Technical University of Denmark (DTU), reported by DR.
The total represents 17 per cent of the catch covered by the report. Environment Minister Maria Reumert Gjerding said she was deeply concerned about the level of discarding and wants cameras installed on fishing vessels sooner, arguing that monitoring can help tackle illegal dumping.
DTU researcher Marie Storr-Paulsen, who prepared the report, said most of the illegally discarded fish die. Fish caught in bottom trawls can be crushed or suffer internal injuries as nets fill, and may suffocate while out of the water or awaiting sorting on board.
The highest proportion of discards was recorded in the Norway lobster fishery in the Kattegat. In 2025, vessels in this fishery discarded as many tonnes of fish and shellfish as they landed. Much of the discarding was legal, but 44.6 tonnes of cod from the Kattegat were discarded illegally, the report said.
In the Wadden Sea area, where fishing vessels catch shrimp using small-mesh nets, fishers legally discarded 36.5 per cent of their catch in 2025. The discarded catch included herring, which Storr-Paulsen said often do not survive being caught in the net. The area is a Natura 2000 site and a UNESCO World Heritage site, according to the article.
Denmark’s Society for Nature Conservation said the deaths of fish and other marine animals caused particularly by bottom trawling were an overlooked problem. Its director, Lars Midtiby, called the waste of life enormous in a sea already under pressure.
The report’s calculations are based on fishing trips accompanied by a DTU observer, covering about one per cent of trips that year. The Danish Fishers Association’s chairman, Svend-Erik Anders, acknowledged that discarding was a problem and said the association was working to address it.
The article notes that fish stocks in Danish waters, including cod, are under pressure, and researchers have recommended a complete halt to cod fishing.