Quarterly update for January to March 2024
The seafood sector provides an important source of revenue, jobs and opportunities to New Zealand with export revenue forecast to increase 5 percent to $2.2 billion in the year to 30 June.
Overall, the latest information shows fisheries remain in good shape. Fisheries New Zealand is committed to supporting sustainable fishing so that all fishers, commercial, recreational, and customary continue to benefit from the sea for generations to come.
To that end, Fisheries New Zealand collects a range of data to support decision making for sustainable fisheries and minimise the effect of fishing on other wildlife.
Over the quarter from January 1 to March 31 there were 37,151 reported fishing events and 81,811 tonnes of fish landed (a fishing event is described as each time fishing gear is set and retrieved).
Of these events, 1.7 percent (647) involved interactions with protected species. The interactions range from animals making contact with fishing gear and escaping unharmed to captures. They include reporting from vessels with cameras on board and are broadly in line with our estimates. Fishers generally work hard to reduce these captures and there are a range of mitigations in place.
Fisheries New Zealand works together with the Department of Conservation to manage the range of threats to protected species, including those posed by fishing.
We have plans in place to understand and manage threats to protected marine species, including Hector’s and Māui dolphins, sea lions and seabirds. These plans include evidence-based approaches to dealing with fishing incidents ranging from education at the lower end of the spectrum to fishing restrictions and closures where necessary.
Fisheries New Zealand releases quarterly information reported by commercial fishers about accidental catches of marine mammals, seabirds, reptiles, protected fish, and corals, sponges, and bryozoans. Please see below for key data on accidental captures for the January to March quarter.
Key data on accidental captures
Seabirds
New rules that will significantly reduce the risk of seabirds, including critically threatened albatrosses, being caught come into effect on 1 October 2024. These will require all commercial fishers using surface longline fishing methods to either use special hook shielding devices or implement all three seabird mitigations at the same time.
These mitigations include using bird scaring devices called ‘tori lines’, as well as using weighted lines to sink hooks faster, and setting gear at night.
These measures are targeted to reduce the number of albatross captured, which was 125 in the January to March quarter across the surface longline fleet, some of which escaped unharmed. Fisheries New Zealand expects accidental capture of seabirds to reduce in this fishery as the mitigation changes come into effect and we will monitor it closely.
The reporting period coincides with the mandatory introduction of cameras to the surface longline fleet and the figures reported are broadly in line with our estimates. The surface longline fishery is seasonal and was at its most active during the reporting period.
In addition, Fisheries New Zealand recognises that albatross routinely fly across country borders, so an international effort is required to ensure their protection. We continue to work with governments in the South Pacific and Southern Ocean to ensure an evidence-based approach to conservation.
Dolphins
Hector’s and Māui dolphins face a variety of threats, including from fishing, which are managed by Fisheries New Zealand and the Department (DOC) of Conservation. Together, we are responsible for the Threat Management Plan (TMP) for Hector’s and Maui dolphins.
Protecting Hector's and Māui dolphins
To manage threats from fishing, a Bycatch Reduction Plan is in place for South Island Hector’s dolphins. The plan sets out the suite the measures designed to help fishers reduce the accidental capture of Hector’s dolphins towards zero.
Bycatch Reduction Plan [PDF, 7.2 MB]
There were six reported Hector’s dolphin captures this quarter, which is in line with estimates. The dolphins were caught over five fishing events, three near Timaru and two near Banks Peninsula.
Fisheries New Zealand reviewed each Hector’s dolphin capture to confirm relevant regulations are followed. Capture thresholds, called Fishery Related Mortality Limits (FRMLs), trigger a range of actions depending on the effect of the capture on the dolphin population. Footage review has enabled direct engagement with fishers about practices to support improvements and avoid captures.
During the quarter captures equated to 25-50 percent of the Timaru and Banks Peninsula regional FRMLs.
In line with the Bycatch Reduction Plan, a vessel-based response was introduced for each capture event during the quarter. This involved:
- Requesting an immediate ‘move-on’ by the vessel, vacating the vicinity of the capture (‘move-on rule’).
- Direct engagement between the Department of Conservation Protected Species Liaison Officer, Fisheries New Zealand, and the fisher to review and better understand the circumstances surrounding each capture.
- Confirmation that the vessel was operating in accordance with fisheries regulations designed to reduce the risk of protected species captures.
- Review of onboard camera footage associated with each capture event.
Complete dataset for non-fish and protected species accidental bycatch [XLSX, 109 KB]
Fisheries observers also collect data on protected species captures. Historic data is available from the Protected species by-catch website.
Protected species bycatch in New Zealand fisheries -protectedspeciescaptures.nz
Commercial fishing monitored by fisheries observers
On-board cameras are now live on some commercial fishing vessels
Experience overseas and in New Zealand is that monitoring of fishing by observers or cameras generally leads to more accurate reporting. Accurate data enables a more transparent and responsive fisheries management system, and supports better understanding of the health of our marine ecosystems.
Footage to review is chosen both randomly and based on risk, with higher review rates in those fisheries where verifying fisher reporting is most important for high risk species protection.
Future research will use data from cameras to update risk and capture estimates to ensure these are based on the best available information.
On-board cameras for commercial fishing vessels
In January 2024 cameras were rolled out to the Surface Longline Fleet. There were 123 vessels equipped with on-board cameras by 31 March.
More than 40 percent of footage collected from vessels was reviewed this quarter. This is high by international standards, reflecting the overlap with the areas identified in the Threat Management Plan for Hector’s and Māui dolphins.
The vast majority of protected species captures are being consistently reported by fishers, with 98 percent of reviewed protected species interactions also reported by fishers.
There has been increased reporting of protected species in the fisheries where cameras are operating, which aligns with international experience. The levels of protected species captures being reported are in line with our estimates.
Metric | 01 January to 31 March 2024 |
Number of vessels with cameras | 123 |
Number of fishing events for which footage was captured* | 5,866 |
Number of events reviewed by MPI | 2,842 |
Percentage of events reviewed by MPI | 43% |
Percentage of reviewer detected protected species interactions that were also reported by fishers |
98% |
* A fishing event is defined as each time a net or longline is set and retrieved. There are a variety of reasons why footage may not be captured for a given event, such as technical failures of the camera system.
This data can be subject to reporting errors
The data in these quarterly reports has been provided by fishers via the electronic reporting system. Where protected species reporting errors are identified through review of footage, we work with fishers to update the data.
Find out more
Fisheries New Zealand seabird risk assessment [PDF, 3.5 MB]
Maui and Hector’s dolphin Threat Management Plan
National Plan of Action-Seabirds [PDF, 9.4 MB]
National Plan of Action-Sharks [PDF, 709 KB]
Fisheries Inshore New Zealand - FINZ
Risk assessment of commercial fisheries to New Zealand seabirds [PDF, 3.5 MB]