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June 26, 2025
Twice a year in April and October, Fisheries NZ changes the management for various fish stocks across the country. Before they make any changes Fisheries NZ issues a proposal paper and asks for submissions from interested parties, including the public, fishers, Māori interests and environmental interests. Everyone has to respond by a set deadline. These ... Read more.
June 26, 2025
Fisheries New Zealand undertakes scientific stock assessments throughout the year for various fish stocks. Depending on what this shows, Fisheries NZ prioritises what fish stocks need to be reviewed and proposes various actions the Minister for Oceans and Fisheries may want to take to ensure sustainability. For example, If the assessment shows that abundance is ... Read more.
June 26, 2025
No, it depends on your definition of “sustainable”. Under the Quota Management System the stocks that get the most attention are usually the ones that are important to commercial interests. That means most effort is directed to delivering proposals that increase commercial catch limits, or churning out science that supports the maintenance of existing catch ... Read more.
June 19, 2025
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 30, 2025
The Minister for Oceans and Fisheries is calling the proposed changes to the Fisheries Act a reform package, claiming that they will improve responsiveness, efficiency and certainty of how our fisheries are managed. The proposed changes are not real reforms. They are changes to give more control to commercial interests at the expense of the ... Read more.
