Hon Stuart Nash
Minister of Fisheries
13 September 2018
MEDIA STATEMENT
Next steps in digital monitoring
Fisheries Minister Stuart Nash has confirmed the next stage of digital monitoring across the wider commercial fishing
fleet will begin in January 2019.
“Electronic catch and position reporting is already in place for trawl vessels over 28 metres in length that make up
most of the deep-water fleet. They account for 70 per cent of the catch,” Mr Nash says.
“The remainder of the fleet, the smaller vessels who predominantly work the inshore fisheries, will now report their
catch and position under the modernised system as well.
“The rollout will begin in January 2019 with those who have the highest total holdings of annual catch entitlement
(ACE). It will be introduced progressively and end with operators who have the smallest or no holdings. It will be in
place across the whole fleet by December 2019.
“It replaces the current paper-based catch reporting system that is slow, error prone and time consuming. The wider
introduction of electronic catch and position reporting will give us more accurate and timely information about what is
being caught, how it is being caught, and where it is being caught.
“The modernisation of the fisheries monitoring system will provide better information and improve the understanding of
what fish are being legally returned to the sea, including fish below minimum size. It will provide real time
information and evidence about the commercial catch that will enable better decisions around setting catch limits.
“I put the rollout on hold late last year after challenges around technology and specifications. We have arrived at
solutions to these issues. After consultation with the industry and others we are in a better position to make sure it
works. The industry had concerns in a number of areas, such as frequency and timing of reporting, how to deal with
equipment failures at sea and how to protect commercially sensitive information such as the location of fishing spots.
Fisheries officials also used the consultation to consider how they could better facilitate innovative trawl
technologies that have the potential to reduce bycatch and minimise damage to fish. Officials will continue to work with
the fishing industry for the remainder of this year to resolve any other technical questions.
“These changes will allow Fisheries New Zealand to make more informed and faster decisions about managing our fisheries
to maximise their recreational, cultural, commercial and environmental value. It will also give increased confidence to
New Zealand and international consumers that fish from our waters are being managed and caught sustainably.
“The introduction of electronic catch and position reporting is part of a wider Digital Monitoring Project. I am still
considering options around the introduction of cameras on board commercial fishing vessels and no Cabinet decisions have
yet been made about this additional technology. Decisions around on-board cameras would require Cabinet approval and
wider public consultation,” Mr Nash says.
For technical details and more background information about digital monitoring, see the Fisheries New Zealand website
Questions and Answers
1. What is wrong with the way commercial catches and fishing positions are reported now?
The paper-based reporting process can be slow and time consuming, and prone to errors.
The paper reports are mailed in by the 15th of the following month and the process can result in long delays before
fishing information is verified. If an error is made in the forms, the commercial operator is notified and must provide
an amended report or indicate that they stand by their original report. This requires operators to recall events that
happened two months earlier unless they have kept their own separate records.
2. What will the changes look like in practice?
By using digital technology the commercial fleet will record activity in real time while fishing. The reports will in
most cases be completed and submitted daily. The new regime will require the fleet to report more than previously,
including fish caught that are below the minimum legal size.
Electronic catch reporting will require an e-logbook where fishing boat operators complete and transmit their catch reports electronically, most
of them daily. The upgrade to electronic reporting will reduce human error and make reporting easier and more efficient.
Electronic position reporting is a new requirement for most of the commercial fleet. It will see the location of vessels and land-based fishers
reported frequently through automated geospatial position reporting (GPR) devices.
3. What is the expected impact of electronic catch and position reporting on the commercial fleet?
There will be a cost to purchase the electronic catch and position reporting equipment from technology providers.
Fisheries New Zealand will support this process with guidance material and is preparing for meetings across the country
to provide information and answer questions.
There will also be some changes to past practice and familiar processes. This will affect what is reported, how it is
reported, and when it is reported. However, these changes will improve the timeliness and quality of information
provided to support industry decision making.
Precise cost estimates are difficult because technology providers have not yet publicised their pricing. As with any
product, prices will also vary depending on the vendor chosen; the hardware and software already in place on commercial
vessels; and whether catch and position reports are transmitted using cellular coverage or satellite-based systems.
The modernisation of the fisheries management system is a crucial step towards improving the sustainability of our
fisheries and our marine environment.
4. How will electronic catch and position reporting be rolled out?
It will be rolled out over 11 months, starting with those who had the largest annual catch entitlement (ACE) holdings at
23:59pm on 30 September 2017. In general, the largest operators are more likely to have the necessary infrastructure in
place to support electronic reporting. This staggered approach will also enable Fisheries New Zealand to better support
commercial operators as they transition into the new regime.
The table below sets out an example of what the rollout might look like. The stages will only be finalised once the
regulations have been amended. .
StagePermit holder’s ACE holding at 30.09.17Can start reporting fromMust report by12,000 tonnes and over14 January 20191 May 20192180 - 1,999.99 tonnes1 May 20191 June 2019345 - 179.99 tonnes1 June 20191 July 2019424 - 44.99 tonnes1 July 20191 August 2019511 - 23.99 tonnes1 August 20191 September 201964.50 - 10.99 tonnes1 September 20191 October 201971 - 4.49 tonnes1 October 20191 November 20198All other permit holders1 November 20191 December 2019
5. How will you deal with concerns about privacy or commercial sensitivity?
We have listened to concerns that vessel operators will be forced to publicly reveal commercially valuable information,
such as lucrative fishing spots or places where they enjoy an abundant catch.
There are cases where the fishing operator is not the permit holder for that species but is catching it on their behalf.
Some skippers do not want to reveal their precise fishing locations to the permit holder.
Skippers or designated fishing operators will still be required to record their fishing location in fine detail, to the
equivalent of 11 metres, when they report to Fisheries NZ. But they will only be required to share the same information
with the permit holder with a precision equivalent to eleven kilometres.
ENDS