Source: New Zealand Government
New data shows New Zealand’s trawl footprint continues to cover only a tiny fraction of the country’s waters, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says.
“The analysis, published on the Ministry for Primary Industries’ website, shows the trawled area within New Zealand’s territorial sea and Exclusive Economic Zone is concentrated in specific fishing grounds. It represented only 1.7 per cent of the total area in the 2024/25 fishing year, with most of that area previously trawled,” Mr Jones says.
“I know the topic of bottom trawling provokes strong reactions from some but the facts are that the area impacted by trawling is extremely limited and has remained relatively stable for decades. That means the environmental effects of trawling are also contained.
“I’m all for reducing those effects as much as practicable but Kiwis should remember that around 70 per cent of commercially caught fish comes from bottom trawl fisheries. That’s a lot of our Friday fish and chips, supermarket fish and restaurant fish.
“This fishing makes up an industry that’s worth $1.57 billion in exports and directly employs around 9000 people. I will continue to support an industry that supports regional economies and jobs.”
New Zealand is not an outlier in this method of fishing. More than 100 countries operate trawl fisheries including Australia, Canada, the US and Japan.
“I recognise it needs to operate under evidence-backed checks and balances. Fisheries officials closely monitor the trawl footprint and work with industry to further reduce the effects of bottom trawling, including developing innovative ways to modify trawl gear or use alternative fishing methods, such as potting or lining, to catch some fish species which are currently caught by trawl.
“The New Zealand fishing industry invests heavily in innovation and technology, allowing fishing methods to become more precise, efficient, and targeted than they were in the past. This continues to evolve alongside consumer expectations,” Mr Jones says.
More information about bottom trawl fishing can be found on MPI’s website here. More information on the range of measures in place to minimise accidental bycatch can be found here.
Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/05/29/nz-bottom-trawl-footprint-remains-small/