I agree that bottom trawling, particularly in areas of environmental significance such as coral beds, needs to be halted.

I've seen some areas that used to be rich havens for marine wildlife completely destroyed by bottom trawling, leaving a sandy expanse with little by way of habitat for underwater species.

Now that being said, I wouldn't advocate the end of bottom trawling altogether - in the areas which have already been destroyed, and in the areas which have now been trawled for decades, I see little reason for halting the practice in areas that are now beyond repair.

The fact of the matter is, most of us want to eat fish, but we don't like commercial fishermen.

I'm in favour of very heavy penalties for those who trawl in sensitive areas, though I also think there needs to be a place for trawlers, or another practical way of fishing in sufficient commercial quantities needs to be encouraged.

At present, fishermen are already restricted from multiple areas, especially in North Queensland.
It's a good step, but we need to ensure we don't go too far.