One of the biggest fishing companies in the Hauraki Gulf has revealed just how much it's willing to sacrifice in order to help protect the environment.
Sanford has told Newshub it would be willing to reduce the area it trawls in by up to 50 percent.
There's a lot of interest in the state of the Hauraki Gulf fishery. And Sanford says it's willing to compromise to protect it.
"We are prepared to compromise on where we currently operate for the benefit of the Hauraki Gulf marine park," said Sanford general manager fishing Colin Williams.
"I think some of the numbers that might land could be something between 40 percent to 50 percent on what we currently do."
Williams is talking about co-called trawl 'corridors' - limiting where vessels can trawl in the Gulf as part of a government plan to protect it.
And he isn't ruling out Sanford exiting the Gulf completely.
"I think we've got to be open to all permutations as time goes on," he told Newshub.
He denies Sanford meddled in the process to ensure trawling could continue by putting pressure on the Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI).
"Definitely not, we do not," he said.
The industry also denies pressuring MPI to get wins for the commercial sector.
And when it comes to trawling, Seafood New Zealand CEO Jeremy Helson believes even in 10 years it'll still happen.
"It'll be more selective but I think there's still a place for trawling in New Zealand, and there will be for some time," he said.
New technology's being trialled, where cameras are attached inside nets underwater so the skipper can see what's happening in real-time.
"And that reduces tow times, reduces environmental impacts, reduces carbon emissions and that sort of thing," Helson said.
But calls to end trawling in the Gulf remain loud. On Thursday night Newshub revealed a member of the advisory group on the Gulf resigned, saying MPI was unwilling to deviate from allowing trawl corridors, and it had a fixed plan.
When Tony Orton was asked if he feared the public consultation and the public submissions will be disregarded, he replied: "My gut feeling is saying that, yes. One hundred percent."
Newshub has spoken to another member of the advisory group who told Newshub that they believe officials have "clearly demonstrated" a closed mind. In their opinion, the implementation of trawl corridors was "predetermined" and because of this public consultation on the plan is "a sham".
MPI's director of fisheries management, Emma Taylor, said a total ban on bottom trawling in the Gulf was considered as part of the Revitalising The Gulf strategy. She said that was subject to extensive consultation.
Trawl corridors were later identified as a way to minimise the impact from bottom contact fishing.
The Fisheries Plan forms part of the work on the Revitalising The Gulf strategy. Taylor said while overall feedback from the plan's advisory group had been positive, there has been some disagreement.
"It is to be expected there will be a range of views expressed.
"The development of the strategy was a long and careful process, which we consider is appropriate for work of this scale and importance."
Taylor said the public consultation for the Fisheries Plan has been "fair and not a sham".
