Update – 30 August 2021
Amendments implemented
While the main focus of this consultation on proposed changes to the electronic reporting circulars related to implementing the National plan of action – seabirds 2020, other proposals were included. The amendments have been incorporated into the Electronic catch and position reporting guide and come into effect on 1 September 2021.
Electronic catch and position reporting guide (2021) [PDF, 2.3 MB]
Find out more about electronic catch and position reporting
UPDATE – 17 May 2021
Decisions released
The director fisheries management has approved amendments to the electronic reporting circulars. Amendments include:
- making it mandatory for fishers using trawl, surface longline, and bottom longline methods to report mitigation use
- requiring fishers using bottom longline and surface longline methods to report details of their line weighting regimes
- requiring hapuku, bass, and the 8 species of QMS flatfish to be recorded as separate species (except on monthly harvest returns)
- requiring pāua divers to record which pāua statistical area they dive in and whether they are targeting pāua above any industry-agreed minimum harvest size.
Fishers must use the new reporting requirements by 1 December 2021. They can start reporting using the new requirements on 1 September 2021.
Decision document: Amendments to electronic reporting circulars [PDF, 609 KB]
Submissions on proposed changes to electronic reporting for commercial fishing [PDF, 1.7 MB]
Background
Fisheries New Zealand sought feedback on proposed changes to electronic reporting. Most of the proposed changes relate to seabirds and implementation of the National plan of action – seabirds 2020.
The main proposal was targeted at trawl, surface longline, and bottom longline fishers. It entailed additional reporting of mitigation equipment and operational practices.
Some other changes were also proposed, including requiring fishers to report hapuku, bass, and the 8 species of QMS flatfish at the individual species level.
Full details are in the consultation document.
Consultation document
Proposed amendments to electronic reporting circulars [PDF, 581 KB]
Submissions are public information
Note that any submission you make becomes public information. People can ask for copies of submissions under the Official Information Act 1982 (OIA). The OIA says we have to make submissions available unless we have good reasons for withholding them. That is explained in sections 6 and 9 of the OIA.
Tell us if you think there are grounds to withhold specific information in your submission. Reasons might include that it’s commercially sensitive or it’s personal information. However, any decision Fisheries New Zealand makes to withhold information can be reviewed by the Ombudsman, who may tell us to release it.
Fisheries New Zealand may post all or parts of any written submission on its website. We’ll consider that you have consented to its publication unless clearly stated otherwise in your submission.
