Calls to ban bottom trawling from Hauraki Gulf

22 dead common dolphins, killed in trawl nets along the west coast of the North Island last December. Photo / File

A group representing a collective 1.2 million people is calling for a ban on bottom trawling in the Hauraki Gulf.

Conservation groups and recreational fishers have grouped for the first time to
call for an end to all destructive mobile bottom fishing such as trawling, scallop dredging and Danish seining in the marine park.

The move follows the release today of a Horizon Research poll, commissioned by the
Hauraki Gulf Forum, that shows that 84 per cent of the public who live in the vicinity of the Hauraki Gulf do not want mobile bottom contact fishing to continue due to the
destructive impact it has on marine species and ecosystems on the seafloor.

They say this is in contrast to the Government's recent Revitalising The Gulf proposal which allows these activities to continue in the future.

The alliance includes the Royal Forest & Bird Protection Society (Forest
& Bird), Greenpeace Aotearoa, WWF-NZ, Environmental Defence Society (EDS), the
Environment and Conservation Organisations of New Zealand (ECO), the New Zealand
Sports Fishing Council (NZSFC), LegaSea, the New Zealand Underwater Association
and the New Zealand Angling & Casting Association.

"This group represents a combined 1.2 million people and has banded together for the
first time on an issue we see as one of the most important environmental impacts facing
this taonga in Tāmaki-makau-rau. The Hauraki Gulf/Tīkapa Moana is recognised
globally as a biodiversity hotspot for many species and it is one of New Zealand's most
valued and intensively used coastal spaces," said Dr Aroha Spinks (WWF-NZ).

"The Hauraki Gulf Forum's recently released poll provides stark proof that an
overwhelming majority of people think it's time to end fishing methods that crush
seafloor animals to rubble, rip up the sea-bed and leave it barren with little prospect of
recovery," said Barry Weeber, co-chairman of ECO.

The poll showed 84 per cent supported banning bottom contact fishing methods, with only 3 per cent opposed. Some 13 per cent were not sure or had no opinion.

"It is clear from the latest State of the Gulf 2020 report that the Hauraki Gulf ecosystem
is under enormous pressure, and is in a far worse state now than it was 20 years ago
when the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park was established.

"There are widespread kina barrens, significant benthic habitat loss such as important three-dimensional nursery habitat for fish, overfishing is occurring, tarakihi, crayfish and bait fish are in trouble and many shellfish stocks have collapsed," said Bob Gutsell, New Zealand Sport Fishing Council president.

Sam Woolford, LegaSea lead, said the Government had got it wrong when introducing bottom trawling corridors rather than ban the practice.

"We were devastated when the Government failed in its latest plan to ban bottom
contact fishing methods from the Gulf. This was the wrong decision. Instead, the
Government will introduce bottom trawling corridors and freeze the existing scallop bed
footprint, after pressure from commercial fishers," said Woolford.

"The Hauraki Gulf is in a really grim state because of the way we are treating it.
We know mobile bottom contact fishing is one of the most damaging practices and is
doing great harm to the seafloor animals and protected species," said Lissy Fehnker-Heather, Regional Conservation Manager - Forest & Bird.

"The Government needs to get on with it and take the health of the Gulf seriously. All of us NGOs, and the majority of the population are saying to end this destructive fishing practice, so we really hope the minister makes the right call," she said.

Greenpeace Aotearoa spokeswoman Ellie Hooper said bottom trawling was the most destructive fishing method there is.

"To allow the Gulf and the marine life that lives there to recover, it's clear it's got to stop. We call on the Government to put ocean protection first, so that we can have a thriving Gulf for the future.

"It's time to put to bed commercial arguments supporting bottom trawling. It's an archaic
method of catching fish. Towing heavy nets and equipment repeatedly across the
seabed crushes shellfish and other sedentary creatures, leaving rubble and a
wasteland."

EDS Policy Director Raewyn Peart said instead of resisting change, the commercial fishing sector should put efforts into developing alternatives.

"Doing so will mean a more productive marine environment, with more fish, in
the future," she said.