Skip to main content
Last reviewed:

Registering as a charter fishing boat operator

Amateur-fishing charter vessel operators must:

  • register with the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) before they can run trips
  • provide electronic reports on their fishing trips after they're registered.

The reports cover what was caught when they had fare-paying passengers on board.

Registering and reporting ensures that:

  • operators can be contacted
  • their interests are taken into account during fisheries management decisions.

Fishserve runs the amateur fishing charter vessel registration process for Fisheries New Zealand until 31 March 2025. A company called eCatch Limited runs the electronic reporting app.

Who has to register?

If you take people fishing and payment is made for the vessel and guide services, you must register. Payment could be for being on the vessel, or for guide services.

Ferries and tourist sightseeing boats don't have to register because their passengers don't fish.

How to register

You can either register manually or apply to do it online.

  • If you register manually, then you'll have to report all future information manually.
  • If you register for online, then you'll have to report all future information online.

You need to re-register each year for both methods.

Find out how to re-register

Registration costs

  • Registering and re-registering online costs $27 (GST included).
  • Registering and re-registering manually costs $54 (GST included).

Online registration

To register online, download and complete Form 1. Your application must be a paper copy that you send, but after that, you can do everything online.

When you first register, you provide only the details for the operator and approved user. After you've registered, you can then create contacts online for any:

  • skippers
  • guides
  • other people and vessels that are operating.

Form 1: Application to register as an amateur-fishing charter vessel operator – online [PDF, 195 KB]

Sending your completed application form

Email your printed, completed form to charteroperator@fishserve.co.nz

Or, you can mail it to:

Fishserve
Amateur Fishing Charter Vessel
P O Box 482
Wellington 6140.

You must pay an application fee of $27 (GST included). Payment instructions are in the form.

After you've been approved, you'll receive a secure login to the online registration system.

You can use the online system to notify any changes, and to re-register.

Amateur-Fishing Charter System login

Manual registration

If you don't want to (or can't) use the online system, download and complete Form 2 to register to use the paper-based system.

Form 2: Application to register as an amateur-fishing charter vessel operator [PDF, 282 KB]

You'll need to complete and submit details for:

  • an operator
  • approved users
  • all contact people
  • all skippers
  • all guides
  • all vessels that are part of your operator listing.

Sending your completed application form

Print the form, complete it, and post it to:

Fishserve
Amateur Fishing Charter Vessel
P O Box 482
Wellington 6140.

You must pay an application fee of $54 (GST included). Payment instructions are in the form.

Once you're registered: display your VLN and use eCatch for reporting 

Once registered, you'll be sent a vessel listing notification (VLN) which you need to display on each vessel that’s operating. You'll then need to download the electronic catch reporting app (eCatch).

Find out how to use eCatch

Why operators need to report, and what it helps with

As fishing activity increases, we need to ensure it stays sustainable. We collect information on charter vessel fishing to:

  • better understand how many fish are being caught so that we can set sustainable limits
  • maintain and increase public confidence in our ability to manage fisheries effectively
  • meet New Zealand's international obligations – especially for the 2 species of bluefin tuna that we manage
  • assess the effects of events or management proposals – like when a ship runs aground or a spatial plan is developed
  • manage shared inshore fisheries through targeted information about key shared species
  • detect fishing patterns that might signal important changes in fisheries (like fewer fish being caught in an area).

How to re-register

You need to re-register each year to keep registered and your details up to date.

  • Re-registering online costs $27.
  • Re-registering manually costs $54.

Online re-registration

You need to log in first.

Log in to the Amateur-Fishing Charter System to re-register online

Manual re-registration

The form is among those available on the charter system website.

Forms page – Amateur-Fishing Charter System

Rules and regulations for amateur fishing charter vessel operators

Fisheries (Amateur-Fishing) Regulations 2013 – New Zealand Legislation

Fisheries (Amateur-fishing Charter Vessel Reporting) Notice (Notice No. MPI 1882) – 2024-sl5488 – New Zealand Gazette [PDF, 47 KB]

Who to contact

For advice on the amateur-fishing charter vessel registration process, call 0800 4 ACV HELP (0800 422 843) or write to Fishserve:

Amateur Fishing Charter Vessel
P O Box 482
Wellington 6140.

For advice on amateur-fishing charter vessel trip activity and catch returns:

If you want to contact MPI about the information on this page, email info@mpi.govt.nz

MPI business units