Is bottom trawling gear destructive?
Any gear can have a negative affect on habitat depending on how and where it is used. While bottom trawl gear has the greatest potential impact on bottom habitat and sensitive areas given its characteristics, illegal, unregulated and unreported (IUU) fishing seriously impact the sustainability of fish stocks. With advances in technology, bottom trawl gear is becoming a much more discriminate and selective fishing activity. Today, fishers are better able to target specific patches of high fish concentration and productivity as opposed to less discriminate practices of the past. Similar to farming, this activity generally occurs in the same areas year after year. The vast majority of grounds harvested are not fragile or delicate. They are generally muddy and sandy. In fact, some areas have been fished using this type of gear for more than 50 years. Nevertheless, fish return to these habitats year after year.
