新西兰底拖网捕鱼的经济与环境影响

新西兰海洋与渔业部长 Shane Jones 于2026年5月31日发布的声明，核心信息如下：

主要内容

• 新数据显示，2024/25渔业年度中，新西兰领海及专属经济区（EEZ）内被底拖网（Bottom Trawling）作业覆盖的面积仅占总海域面积的 1.7%。
• 大部分拖网作业集中在传统渔场，而且这些区域过去已经长期被拖网捕捞。
• 政府认为，拖网捕鱼对海洋环境的影响范围有限，并且几十年来保持相对稳定。

经济贡献

部长强调：

• 约 70%的商业捕捞鱼类 来自底拖网渔业。
• 底拖网捕捞支撑着新西兰人日常消费的鱼类供应，包括：
  • Fish and Chips店
  • 超市销售的鱼类
  • 餐馆供应的海鲜
• 渔业出口价值约 15.7亿纽元。
• 行业直接提供约 9,000个就业岗位，尤其对地区经济具有重要意义。

对环保争议的回应

针对环保组织长期批评底拖网破坏海床生态的问题，Jones表示：

• 他支持尽可能减少环境影响。
• 但政策应建立在科学证据基础上，而不是情绪化反应。
• 政府持续监测拖网活动范围。
• 渔业部门正与行业合作：
  • 改进拖网设备设计；
  • 研发更精准的捕捞技术；
  • 对部分鱼种尝试使用延绳钓（lining）或捕笼（potting）等替代方法。

国际比较

部长指出，新西兰并非特例，全球超过100个国家仍在使用底拖网捕鱼，包括：

• Australia
• Canada
• United States
• Japan

争议焦点

环保团体（如 Greenpeace）长期认为：

• 即使拖网面积占比不大，
• 被拖过的海床区域可能遭受严重生态破坏，
• 深海珊瑚、海绵及底栖生物恢复速度极慢，
• 因此不能仅以“面积占比小”来衡量影响。

而渔业行业及政府则认为：

• 应同时考虑粮食供应、就业及出口收入；
• 重点应放在降低影响，而非全面禁止拖网。

New data shows New Zealand’s trawl footprint continues to cover only a tiny fraction of the country’s waters, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says.

“The analysis, published on the Ministry for Primary Industries’ website, shows the trawled area within New Zealand’s territorial sea and Exclusive Economic Zone is concentrated in specific fishing grounds. It represented only 1.7 per cent of the total area in the 2024/25 fishing year, with most of that area previously trawled,” Mr Jones says.

“I know the topic of bottom trawling provokes strong reactions from some but the facts are that the area impacted by trawling is extremely limited and has remained relatively stable for decades. That means the environmental effects of trawling are also contained.

“I’m all for reducing those effects as much as practicable but Kiwis should remember that around 70 per cent of commercially caught fish comes from bottom trawl fisheries. That’s a lot of our Friday fish and chips, supermarket fish and restaurant fish.

“This fishing makes up an industry that’s worth $1.57 billion in exports and directly employs around 9000 people. I will continue to support an industry that supports regional economies and jobs.”

New Zealand is not an outlier in this method of fishing. More than 100 countries operate trawl fisheries including Australia, Canada, the US and Japan.

“I recognise it needs to operate under evidence-backed checks and balances. Fisheries officials closely monitor the trawl footprint and work with industry to further reduce the effects of bottom trawling, including developing innovative ways to modify trawl gear or use alternative fishing methods, such as potting or lining, to catch some fish species which are currently caught by trawl.

“The New Zealand fishing industry invests heavily in innovation and technology, allowing fishing methods to become more precise, efficient, and targeted than they were in the past. This continues to evolve alongside consumer expectations,” Mr Jones says.

More information about bottom trawl fishing can be found on MPI’s website here. More information on the range of measures in place to minimise accidental bycatch can be found here.