New Zealand's commercial fishing industry depends on bottom trawling for around 70% of its catch, worth billions and thousands of jobs. A blanket ban would hit quota holders and the Maori economy hard, so the practical debate is about making the existing fleet less damaging rather than shutting it down. A modified trawl called FloMo already reduces non-target fish deaths and improves fish quality, but wider adoption is blocked by an old two-wire rule that prevents adding sensors to the net. The article argues that fixing that rule and fast-tracking gear like FloMo would give the industry a credible path forward, while undisturbed seabed could eventually become a blue carbon asset. For anyone tracking ocean climate policy or sustainable seafood, this is a clear example of regulation slowing down a fix that pays for itself.
