Coromandel Set for Huge Trawling Ban

The Waikato Regional Council is progressing a plan to close the vast majority of the Coromandel's coast to trawling, Danish seining, and dredging in its coastal management plan.

The plan, publicly notified on October 14, would allow commercial bottom impact fishing, such as trawling, Danish seine and dredging only along certain benthic access areas – mirroring those in the proposed Hauraki Gulf trawl corridor not long ago abandoned by the Government.

The light green area (East Coast Waikato CMA) would be closed to bottom trawling, Danish seining, and dredging under the council’s proposed plan.

As this rule isn’t part of the operative plan, bottom-impact fishing operations can continue until the rule is made operative (subject to any appeals). The rule may not be made operative for “several more years,” says Waikato Regional Council’s Policy and Information Director, Tracey May. 

LegaSea’s Programme Lead, Sam Woolford, is “over the moon” with the Council’s action. 

“If we want to see any sort of fishing in the future, we have to evolve.

“We’ve long advocated for the removal of destructive fishing techniques. Obviously, in order to have more fish in the water, we’ve got to prioritise the habitat, the ecosystem, and that revolves around getting rid of destructive fishing techniques.

Woolford says this is “a direct response to the fact Fisheries and Oceans Minister Shane Jones chose to dismiss the trawl corridors proposal,” adding that communities have been forced to seek out their own solutions due to central government “dropping the ball.” 

A disgruntled Jones has stated that he is now actively working with Chris Bishop, the Minister overseeing Resource Management Act reform, to limit local government involvement in fisheries management.

- NZ Fishing News