What does bottom trawling really look like?

Video footage from cameras mounted on the bottom trawling nets on three commercial fishing vessels during a trial of Precision Seafood Harvesting in 2015.
The locations of the seafloor and trawling seen in the video are fishing grounds off the west coast of Northland and in the outer Hauraki Gulf.

[@tarakanalad4]

what a magnificence sight, not a single coral reef seen.

[@jasoncartwright67]

now go look at the aftermath and see how bottom trawling destroys the seabed leaving no habitat behind for regrowth

[@southpacific3160]

Have you? Or are you just repeating propaganda?

[@bradhayleyolsen3760]

I bet that piece of ground in the footage has been trawled over thousands of times yet you seem to agree it looks fine before the net goes over it...? Your comment implies that the bottom is wrecked after..?

[@gavrilogavrilovic577]

Fishing boats usually takes the same or at least similar routes and they are still catching fish. So, there is some sort of life, at least, after bottom trawling.

[@christiancorbitt5309]

Bottom trawling can be destructive, but this has been known for a long time and mitigated to some degree by changes in the design of the nets to reduce catching unwanted sea life and only allowing trawling in certain areas of the sea floor. Areas that don’t contain protected habitats like reefs.

[@davidtidswell8374]

'fishing terrain over sand, mud or gravel': Don't you mean 'habitats'?

[@thang.7752]

Like all those fields you get your produce from ???

[@southpacific3160]

I suggest you take at look at the next paddock you see getting ploughed and see how much "habitat" is getting turned over and the worms and insects that get exposed/killed and subsequently eaten by foraging birds, and then tell me that's ok, but fishing isn't. I'll also point out, that the seafloor is some of these images has a rippled surface, showing current and possibly swell action is also having an effect on the top layer of sea floor, probably more so than the chain skimming the surface, and certainly over a far wider area.

[@MemosaS]

Bottom trawling should be illegal. Period.

[@alexarnold6253]

Yes it should. It killed my industry.

[@ultra_axe7812]

​@@alexarnold6253what industry would that be?

[@alexarnold6253]

@@ultra_axe7812 the fishing industry....

[@ultra_axe7812]

@@alexarnold6253 may i ask where youre from?

[@alexarnold6253]

@@ultra_axe7812 im not sure how that's relevant. I worked in Alaska and lived in Seattle during my fishing career.

[@chrisscott2584]

Conveniently showing the clips that have the least bottom impact and not showing the trawl doors dragging along the seabeds.

[@Qwertyyuiioplnxhsk]

Today the doors are what you call floating trawldoors. They hover above the seabed attached by chains and stabilized with weights. We are always working on trying to minimize damage to the seabed.

[@taliesinmusic]

Should be illegal. Pole and line is the way

[@Fish-pi8lv]

“They can’t keep up with the growing demand for fish” is a BS excuse. Yea I agree, they should make much smaller catches because most of the fish are wasted anyways

[@averagewargameplayer]

This is absolutely wonderful. Love to see how we evolved to get so many fish at once.
If one of your fish activists comment on this bro I swear

[@TheKetamineSquid]

finally someone with a mote of intelligence. as if all the grain and other meat they get doesn't take up land either

[@Fish-pi8lv]

Yea it’s really cool how humans are able to be the most dangerous animal in the world. We have advanced so much, but it’s getting to the point where our actions won’t be reversible

[@antonioespinoza9593]

Still legal this? 🤮

[@thastayapongsak4422]

This is bad

[@jennifervicknair7923]

I’m going trawling Wednesday can’t wait