40 | Trawling sustainably In 2019, which is the last time bottom trawling areas were scientifically assessed, two percent of NZ waters were bottom trawled. T T from page 38 More than 80 percent of New Zealand fish is caught by trawling, either bottom or midwater, because most of sustainable fish stocks live deep down near the seafloor, such as hoki, tarakihi and gurnard. Dr Helson says there are three key facts about the way fish is caught, that should be as widely known as the health benefits of eating fish. “The first relates to the extent of trawling on seafloors in New Zealand waters. It is nowhere near as extensive as you might think – we can catch the amount of fish people want in less than five per cent of our oceans each year. “The second is about the effect of a trawl net on the seafloor. Most trawling is done over sandy or muddy areas in defined fishing grounds (like a farm’s paddocks) and not where expensive nets might get caught in rocks, on coral or in seaweed. This means any disturbance to the seafloor is minimised. “Lastly, precision fishing and technology voluntarily being used by commercial fishers is shrinking the trawling footprint. These days we have a smaller fleet out there on shorter trips. Nets have bigger mesh to let smaller fish out and weigh a lot less, so they run more lightly along the seafloor. And sensors on the nets tell a skipper when a net is full so they can bring it up sooner,” Dr Helson says. “Technology doesn’t stand still. The commercial fishing industry believes sustainable fishing can get even better. “We are seeing some great results from new artificial intelligence being trialled this year on trawlers that enables skippers to see exactly what species are going into the nets, and in what volume, so that they can make an even more targeted catch with less bycatch and shorter trawls.” Dr Helson encourages shoppers to look for sustainable choices – and it’s a good start to know that 94 percent of fish landed in New Zealand is from sustainable stocks, including the versatile and affordable hoki. • For more information about bottom trawling, go to: https://www.seafood.co.nz/ bottom-trawling Talley’s Group - Nelson SEAFOOD INDUSTRY 03 548 5804 info@inmar.co.nz www.inmar.co.nz 03 548 5804 info@inmar.co.nz www.inmar.co.nz Proud to be associated with Talley’s Group HESLOPS 0800 HESLOP 24HRS FOR ALL YOUR TRUCK & TRAILER REPAIR NEEDS 7 Kotua Place, Stoke | PO Box 3012 Richmond, Nelson | 0800 HESLOP (437 567) 24 HR Hotline 03 543 9400 | Email admin@heslops.co.nz | www.heslops.co.nz Specialising in the Repair of: Trucks, Trailers, Buses, Cars, 4 x 4 Vehicles, Marine Engines, Heavy Equipment & Motor Homes Proud to support Talleys Group - Nelson
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