Timeline and background to approvals
2017: Fisheries New Zealand made changes to the regulations for commercial trawling so that fishers can trial and use innovative trawl technologies. The Precision Seafood Harvesting (PSH) Modular Harvest System (MHS) was developed as part of a programme between Aotearoa Fisheries (also known as Moana NZ), Sanford Limited, Sealord Group Limited, and the Ministry for Primary Industries.
24 May 2018: Fisheries New Zealand approved the use of the PSH MHS in certain deepwater fisheries. The approval allowed MHS to be used for hoki, hake, and ling with specific conditions.
12 April 2019: Fisheries New Zealand approved the use of the PSH MHS in North Island inshore fisheries. The approval allowed MHS to be used for snapper, tarakihi, trevally, red gurnard, and John Dory with specific conditions.
2 March 2021: Fisheries New Zealand approved a variation to the North Island inshore approval, to remove certain area and depth restrictions.
Application and related documents released
21 May 2019: Fisheries New Zealand released the application made by PSH to approve the PSH MHS for inshore use, plus Fisheries New Zealand’s decision document.
30 July 2021: Fisheries New Zealand released the decision documents for the approval of the PSH MHS in certain deepwater fisheries, and for the variations as to how the PSH MHS may be used in North Island inshore fisheries.
Note, sections of these documents have been redacted. The names of individuals have been removed to protect their privacy, and some other information has been withheld as it could prejudice the commercial position of the person who supplied, or who is subject of, the information.
- Precision Seafood Harvesting application for approval of trawl net [PDF, 2.6 MB]
- Application appendix 3 – Trident report – SNX catches [PDF, 385 KB]
- Application appendix 4 – Trident report – NFPS catch rates [PDF, 809 KB]
- Application appendix 5 – Russell Millar – UCK equivalence analysis [PDF, 342 KB]
- Application appendix 8 – NIWA report – PSH simulation [PDF, 4.3 MB]
- Application appendix 9 – Analysis of catches and fish [PDF, 2 MB]
- Application appendix 10 – PFR report – Summary of post-harvest snapper [PDF, 681 KB]
- Precision Seafood Harvesting Modular Harvest System inshore decision [PDF, 4.4 MB]
- Precision Seafood Harvesting Modular Harvest System deepwater decision [PDF, 4.4 MB]
- Precision Seafood Harvesting Modular Harvest System inshore variation decision [PDF, 2.5 MB]
Related information
Approval of the PSH Modular Harvest System trawl net in North Island inshore fisheries [PDF, 547 KB]
Approval of the PSH Modular Harvest System trawl net in North Island inshore fisheries – Variation one [PDF, 262 KB]
Approval of the PSH Modular Harvest System trawl net in deepwater fisheries [PDF, 3.5 MB]
