Key facts
Programme start: April 2012
Length: 7 years
PGP funding: $24 million
Industry funding: $24 million
Crown funding paid out to programme for work done to 30 June 2019: $21,493,828
Commercial partners: Moana New Zealand, Sanford and the Sealord Group
Estimated potential economic benefits to NZ: $43.6 million per annum by 2025
Programme evaluation
Independent evaluation of Precision Seafood Harvesting
Programme outcomes
Outcome Logic Model
Outcome Logic Model for Precision Seafood Harvesting - July 2014 [PDF, 224 KB]
Final programme report
Precision Seafood Harvesting PGP - Final Report [PDF, 2 MB]
Background to the programme
The challenge
Traditional fishing nets catch a wide variety of fish sizes and species, meaning a catch can include high proportions of undesired fish or undersized fish, which cannot be processed.
Fish can also be damaged in the process of being loaded onto the deck.
Watch a video on YouTube about PSH
The solution
PSH has developed a prototype harvesting system that aims to target specific species and fish size, as well as enabling fish to be landed in much better condition than traditional trawls.
PSH will also explore methods for holding and on-rearing live fish to enable fresh fish to be provided on demand.
Under design test conditions, PSH's first trawl prototypes are successfully delivering low-fatigue, low-damage, and high-value fish. Commercial testing commenced in June 2013.
Programme outcomes
- Approval of the Modular Harvest System for use in deepwater fisheries for hake, hoki and ling, and North Island inshore fisheries for John dory, red gurnard, snapper, tarakihi and trevally. This now allows for the commercial rollout of the MHS across deepwater and inshore fleets, which will result in greater realisation of the operational efficiency, fish quality and value cascade improvements.
- Continued improvement in the composition, configuration and performance of the MHS in different fishing environments.
- Ongoing development of the on-board handling systems to compliment the MHS and further improve the quality and value of fish harvested.
- Completion of the standard operating procedures and safety guidelines for using the MHS.
- PSH won the Callaghan Innovation Maori Innovation Award in June 2016.
- PSH was the winner of the Innovation in Sustainability & Clean Tech award and the Supreme Innovator award at NZ Innovation Council’s 2014 Innovators Awards.
Achievements for the 2017/18 financial year
- Approval of the Modular Harvest System for use in deepwater fisheries for hake, hoki and ling, and North Island inshore fisheries for John dory, red gurnard, snapper, tarakihi and trevally. This now allows for the commercial rollout of the MHS across deepwater and inshore fleets, which will result in greater realisation of the operational efficiency, fish quality and value cascade improvements.
- Continued improvement in the composition, configuration and performance of the MHS in different fishing environments.
- Ongoing development of the on-board handling systems to compliment the MHS and further improve the quality and value of fish harvested.
- Completion of the standard operating procedures and safety guidelines for using the MHS.
- PSH won the Callaghan Innovation Maori Innovation Award in June 2016.
- PSH was the winner of the Innovation in Sustainability & Clean Tech award and the Supreme Innovator award at NZ Innovation Council’s 2014 Innovators Awards.
Audit and progress reports
Precision Seafood Harvesting PGP Programme Review – June 2017 [PDF, 141 KB]
Assurance On Precision Seafood Harvesting Use of Funding – September 2014 [PDF, 550 KB]
