What’s the first step?

‘First do no harm’ goes the Hippocratic Oath sworn by doctors. Us fishos could probably say the same.

Arguably, the most precious and vulnerable thing in the Gulf is the habitat itself. No habitat, no fish, no fun. So anything that damages the habitat or degrades its productivity is a step in the wrong direction.

There are few devices as barbaric and unsophisticated as a dredge. They scoop up everything in their path, and in their wake leave a torn up seafloor as thanks. Nothing says ‘munter’ like a dredge.

Some rec fishos still use them, as do the commercial boys—in fact they’ll even be allowed to use them on scallop beds if/when the SeaChange regulations come into force because they’re so “targeted”. Yeah right.

Bottom trawling and Danish seining also do a fairly comprehensive job of munting the seafloor, as well as any structure (sponges, soft corals, Gorgonian fans, tube worms etc) that projects from it. At present commercial fishers are allowed to trawl in two-thirds of the Hauraki Gulf—like letting graders into Fiordland National Park.

There’s another category of destructive fishing, however, that is closer to home—any method that doesn’t allow the fisho to exercise discretion over what they kill and what they don’t. Set nets kill pretty much anything that swims into them—including birds, sharks, rays, eels and plenty else you would otherwise throw back. Same with many set lines and kontikis.

These are killing devices that are indiscriminate and a bit un-sporting. We can do better than continue destructive fishing practices… let’s just take that step.