Fishing methods FAQs
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October 14, 2026
Not if the transition is done well. A well-designed transition plan would support commercial fishers to change their fishing practices to more selective methods. Some jobs may disappear however, the goal is to revitalise small-scale fishing operations in the regions so more jobs will be available to families and coastal communities. A thriving inshore fleet ... Read more.
October 14, 2026
Unlikely. The capture method only has a small influence on the retail price of fish. The majority of the retail sale price is influenced and captured by the quota owner, who then leases out the catch entitlement to fishers on the water. Those fishers make relatively low returns yet have higher costs in fuel, crew, ... Read more.
June 19, 2025
Yes. Alternatives to trawling include long lining and trapping as they are more selective and less damaging to the marine environment. While these alternative methods may be more time consuming they generally deliver better quality fish which ought to attract a higher value return.
June 19, 2025
Since 2012, LegaSea has advocated for the removal of bottom trawling and other destructive mobile, bottom-contact fishing methods such as Danish seining and dredging, from New Zealand’s inshore marine environment. LegaSea supports a transition to more selective harvest techniques.
June 19, 2025
Between 2023 and 2024, the total area trawled in New Zealand’s inshore and deepwater fisheries is equivalent to more than 168,000 square kilometres. That’s the same as dragging nets across the equivalent of 22 million rugby fields, every year. The total area trawled each year in the inshore fishery has been declining since 2018. Source ... Read more.
June 19, 2025
Some of the most common species targeted by inshore bottom trawlers includes snapper, gurnard, tarakihi and john dory. The non-targeted lower value species, commonly referred to as ‘bycatch’ can include spiny dogfish, seafloor dwelling organisms, molluscs, occasionally dolphins and various other species. It’s important to note that targeted and unwanted species caught by bottom trawlers ... Read more.
June 19, 2025
There are three main issues associated with bottom trawling: Destructive – Bottom trawling damages the seafloor and the creatures living on/in it, often leaving long-lasting impacts on the marine ecosystem. Bulk harvesting – Bottom trawling allows for large amounts of fish to be caught during one fishing event. The fish that are caught in the ... Read more.
June 19, 2025
Bottom trawling is an industrial fishing method that involves dragging weighted nets across the seafloor to catch marine life that live on/near the bottom. Heavy steel ‘trawl doors’ are attached to the sides of the trawl net and dig into the seafloor. The trawl doors also act to keep the net’s mouth open and assist ... Read more.
May 29, 2025
Purse seining is the main method used by commercial fishers to catch kahawai. Substantial quantities of kahawai are also harvested using set nets and as non-targeted catch in the surface longline and trawl fisheries Source – Fisheries New Zealand, Fisheries Assessment Plenary. May 2024. Pages 720 & 721
November 2, 2020
Alternatives to trawling include long lining and trapping. While these alternative methods may be more time consuming they generally deliver better quality fish which ought to attract a higher value return.
