Kia ora Friend,
In 1901, the New Zealand Times published a warning about trawling in the Hauraki Gulf. It read:
"Trawling is working fearful havoc on the feeding beds and spawning grounds on which we depend for our future supply…" That was 124 years ago.
Trawling is the industrial dragging of large, weighted nets across the seafloor to catch fish en masse. It's a blunt, destructive tool – tearing through delicate marine habitats, crushing benthic life, and stirring up sediment that chokes out what little may be left.
And somehow, despite a century of warnings and the ever-mounting scientific evidence, we're still doing it.
This method doesn't just take fish – it takes everything in its path. Mussel beds. Crayfish habitat. Juvenile fish. Spawning areas. It bulldozes the very foundations of our marine ecosystems, including the Hauraki Gulf, which is now a shadow of its former self.
We knew it was damaging in 1901. We know it's worse today.
So why is it still happening? |
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"Trawling and dredging in the Hauraki Gulf is fine because it's always been mud." – Some guy on Facebook |
That's the defence we keep hearing from those backing trawling and dredging in the Hauraki Gulf – usually the ones still doing it. But the truth is, it wasn't always mud. We made it that way.
The Gulf was once home to thriving beds of green-lipped mussels stretching over 500 square kilometres. These natural filters could clean the entire marine area in just 36 hours. However, by the end of the 1960s, they had been dredged to the point of collapse. Green-lipped mussels declined by 100 percent – completely wiped out. What people see now is not how it always was, but what's left after industrial-scale destruction.
Trawling and dredging are not gentle methods of fishing. They flatten seafloor habitats, kill non-target species, and disrupt entire ecosystems. Scientific studies have shown that trawling reduces biodiversity, releases carbon, and can cause damage that never fully recovers. In fact, bottom trawling releases more CO₂ annually than the global aviation industry – around 370 million tonnes.
We've lost more than mussels. Scallops, pipis, and other taonga species have disappeared. In 2020, seabird numbers were reported to have declined by 67 percent – a devastating sign of a collapsing food web. Talk to any long-time boatie and they'll tell you: the birds, the shellfish, the life – it's all but gone. The Hauraki Gulf was once a rich, abundant ecosystem. It didn't start as mud. We turned it into mud.
Read article |
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Quick facts about bottom trawling... |
🐟 What is bottom trawling?
Bottom trawling is an industrial fishing method that involves dragging weighted nets across the seafloor to catch marine life that live near the bottom. Heavy steel 'trawl doors' are attached to the sides of the trawl net and dig into the seafloor. The trawl doors also act to keep the net's mouth open and assist in herding fish into the back of the net - called the cod-end. Bottom trawling occurs both in the inshore and deepwater fishery. Watch the video here.
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🐟 What marine life is caught by bottom trawling?
Some of the most common species targeted by inshore bottom trawlers includes snapper, gurnard, tarakihi and john dory. The non-targeted lower value species, commonly referred to as 'bycatch' can include spiny dogfish, seafloor dwelling organisms, molluscs, occasionally dolphins and various other species. It's important to note that targeted and unwanted species caught by bottom trawlers vary regionally.
Source - Fisheries Assessment Plenary: Volume 2 and 3. May 2024. Fisheries New Zealand |
🐟 How much trawling occurs in New Zealand?
Between 2023 and 2024, the total area trawled in New Zealand's inshore and deepwater fisheries is equivalent to more than 168,000 square kilometres. That's the same as dragging nets across the equivalent of 22 million rugby fields, every year. The total area trawled each year in the inshore fishery has been declining since 2018.
Source - 2025 Fisheries NZ, bottom trawling. |
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A toast to Whitehaven Wines |
We want to raise a glass to the team at Whitehaven and their Koparepare Wines range for their incredible 100% Commitment campaign. By donating 100% of profits from 85 cases of wine to LegaSea, they've shown what it means to back action with impact.
Whitehaven are more than just a great Marlborough winery – they're a company choosing to put their money where it matters, standing with us to protect our marine environment and push for an end to destructive fishing techniques.
It's because of partners like Whitehaven that we're able to keep doing the hard work – advocating, educating and fighting for a future with more fish in the water and healthier oceans for all.
Thank you, Whitehaven, for a commitment we can all raise a glass to. |
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Ocean, with David Attenborough |
David Attenborough has spent his entire life helping us understand the natural world – and fighting to protect it. Ocean is another chapter in that mission, and probably one of his most powerful yet.
It's not just a film full of stunning underwater footage. It's a no frills look at what's happening to our oceans – the damage being done, what we've already lost, and what we still stand to save. It doesn't sugar-coat things as it rightfully shouldn't, but it also leaves you with a sense that change is still possible if we act. If you've ever felt connected to the sea – whether you fish, dive, sail, or just sit and stare at it – this film will hit home. It's a reminder that the ocean isn't endless or invincible. It needs us now more than ever.
Ocean is currently screening at selected movie theatres and is streaming in Disney Plus. |
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Critical join LegaSea as Gold Partners |
Critical has already helped us turn old commercial trawl nets into our signature kingi Boards. Now they've gone a step further—joining us as Gold Partners in the fight to rebuild our fisheries. Based in South Auckland, Critical is a Māori-owned design and manufacturing company that turns New Zealand's plastic waste into beautiful, functional products. From recycled chopping boards to low-carbon interiors, they're all about circular design and long-term thinking. We're proud to have Critical on board. Backing the kaupapa, walking the talk, and helping us build a healthier future for our moana. |
You can now buy the award-winning kingi board directly from the Critical online shop with LegaSea receiving a healthy percentage from every board sold. The kingi board is created from 100% recycled trawl nets and post-consumer plastic. Not only are they chef-grade quality (designed by Tom Hishon from kingi) but they are quite beautiful, with every board having a unique pattern from the green, blue or orange trawl nets.
Get your board here. |
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A shout out to our Volunteers |
This week is Volunteer Week and we want to extend our heartfelt thanks to the people who make the LegaSea movement possible, our incredible volunteers. You are the ones who turn passion into action. Whether you've lent a hand at one of our events, helped with a survey, collected cans for Cans for Kai, supported the team at the Kai Ika filleting trailer or simply shared our posts on social media, your support matters. Every action taken helps to move us toward more abundant fisheries for generations to come. Volunteer Week is a chance to step back and acknowledge those who give their valuable time, not for recognition but because they are passionate about our ocean and the work LegaSea is doing.
If you are interested in hearing more about how you can get onboard as a LegaSea volunteer email volunteer@legasea.co.nz or register here.
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In the news...
Ban destructive fishing in the Hauraki Gulf
The New Zealand Sport Fishing Council and LegaSea have welcomed the Minister for Oceans and Fisheries' decision to reject proposals for trawl corridors in the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park, however, both organisations insist the next step must be bold and decisive: a complete ban on all mobile bottom contact fishing methods, including bottom trawling, Danish seining, and scallop dredging. LegaSea Media Release - June 2025 |
Conservationists criticise NZ trawling after massive coral bycatch
Conservationists say revered broadcaster and environmentalist Sir David Attenborough would be "mortified" by new images showing a record six tonnes of protected coral inside a single trawl net on the deck of a bottom trawling vessel off the east coast of New Zealand. NZ Herald - June 2025 |
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LegaSea is proudly supported by its Gold and Platinum partners: |
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