New Zealand’s Integrated Electronic Monitoring and Reporting System for Commercial Fisheries

The New Zealand Government is developing a new commercial fisheries reporting and monitoring system comprising:
a. Electronic fisheries catch and effort reporting by fishers,
b. Automated position reporting from fishing operations, and,
c. Electronic monitoring using cameras on fishing vessels.
The purpose of the new system is to provide verifiable, accurate, integrated and timely data on commercial fishing activity to inform decisions of fisheries managers in Government and industry. Electronic catch and effort reporting will be phased in from 1 October 2017 – 1 April 2018, with electronic monitoring introduced from 1 October 2018 – 1 April 2020.
The new system will provide an unprecedented understanding of the extent of seabird bycatch in New Zealand commercial fisheries, and significantly improved information to support the characterisation of bycatch risks.
Over time, the larger and more robust information base emerging from the new reporting and monitoring system will enable better decision-making and more targeted management actions relating to seabird interactions with commercial fisheries.