Frequently Asked Questions

Why is bottom trawling and scallop dredging so bad?

These fishing methods drag heavy equipment across the seafloor destroying structures and habitats important for finfish and other species to survive and thrive for kilometres per tow. These methods are responsible for killing juvenile fish, shellfish and species which aren’t even targeted. It is an indiscriminate industrial method of fishing designed purely to capture bulk fish at reduced cost. As fish become scarce the tows simply get longer thereby destroying more benthic environment. Fishing the same areas create corridors of wasteland.

What are the target species for bottom trawling in New Zealand/ Hauraki Gulf?

Bottom trawling targets fish species that live on or near the seafloor. 

In NZ, a wide range of fish are targeted by bottom trawling, with research showing inshore trawl gear targets around 32 species, with many additional species taken as bycatch.  

In the Hauraki Gulf, bottom trawling is banned from the inner Gulf. In the outer Gulf trawlers target snapper and john dory. High catches of red gurnard, trevally and tarakihi occur from bottom trawling in the Gulf.

What is Danish seining?

Danish seining uses large nets and weighted ropes that are laid out on the seafloor. The net is attached on one end by a long rope to the fishing vessel, and the other end is attached to a buoy. The ropes are then pulled together, closing in on its catch while the vessel moves slowly. 

Danish seining is indiscriminate as it catches large amounts of non-target species. It impacts the seafloor by dragging weighted lines across the seabed. Because the lines are dragged for short distances and aren’t too heavy, the benthic impact is said to be much less than for bottom trawling and dredging activity.

What are the target species for Danish seining in the Hauraki Gulf?

Target species for Danish seining in the Gulf include snapper and john dory. Danish seining has been occurring in the Hauraki Gulf since 1923 and is currently restricted from much of the inner Gulf, but not the outer Gulf.

What marine species are in trouble in the Gulf and why?

Sadly, the Gulf isn’t as abundant as it used to be. Snapper may be one of the only fish species that is estimated to be growing in numbers within the Gulf.

Since the development of industrial fishing, the massive schools of small pelagic fish such as kahawai have disappeared from inshore waters. Historic accounts of acres of surface schools as far as the eye could see are now just that, historic. 

Diving seabirds such as shearwaters and petrels which are susceptible to capture in bottom trawl nets have declined by 67% in the Hauraki Gulf.

What is Bycatch?

The term ‘bycatch’ is used to describe the non-targeted species caught while targeting the more desirable species when fishing. Different fishing methods result in differing amounts of bycatch, for example, bottom trawling has higher rates of bycatch than longlining. 

In commercial fishing, bycatch can be species caught that the fisher is not allowed to keep, does not want, or cannot sell. Marine mammals and seabirds are also classed as bycatch due to fishing. 

How do you plan to succeed?

By building a large and diverse Alliance of organisations and individuals unprecedented in the Hauraki Gulf’s management history representative of the people who live, work and recreate within the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park and the creatures that dwell in and around it’s waters.

We will unite them in a campaign to petition the Minister of Oceans and Fisheries to use his decision making power to remove these bottom contact fishing practices and begin a meaningful revival of the health and wellbeing of the Hauraki Gulf.

What is the Hauraki Gulf Alliance hoping to achieve?

The phasing out of all mobile bottom contact fishing methods within the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park and to reverse the decades of abuse and degradation which these methods have caused. This means phasing out the use of fishing methods such as bottom trawling, scallop dredging, Danish seining and bottom contact precision harvesting by 2024, from the entire Hauraki Gulf Marine Park, using section 11 of the Fisheries Act. This decision does not require new legislation and can be implemented by Cabinet approval.

Why is bottom trawling and scallop dredging so bad?

These fishing methods drag heavy equipment across the seafloor destroying structures and habitats important for finfish and other species to survive and thrive for kilometres per tow. These methods are responsible for killing juvenile fish, shellfish and species which aren’t even targeted. It is an indiscriminate industrial method of fishing designed purely to capture bulk fish at reduced cost. As fish become scarce the tows simply get longer thereby destroying more benthic environment. Fishing the same areas create corridors of wasteland.

What is scallop dredging?

Scallop dredging involves dragging a weighted cage along the seafloor to gather partially buried scallops. 

In Northern New Zealand waters, commercial scallop fishers  use a triangular framed steel Victorian box dredge with chain and a toothed bar attached. As the dredge is dragged across the seafloor the toothed bar and chain run over and through the top sediment layer raising the scallops off the seabed and driving them into the cage.