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2025 Seafood Conference

Submission on Fisheries Reform: Proposed Amendments to the Fisheries Act

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Declaration

Select all - I support the intent of the reform to improve our fisheries management system, specifically the positions of Seafood New Zealand as outlined below.

Please unselect any statements you do not wish to include in your submission.

Part 1 - Proposals to improve responsiveness, efficiency and certainty of decision making

Multi-year catch decisions

I support the proposals to enable both phased and temporary Total Allowable Catch (TAC) adjustments; and the proposed maximum timeframe of five years.

Management procedures

I support the proposal to enable management procedures that set out when and how the TAC would be adjusted over a given period.

I support a default timeframe of five years but consider there should be scope to allow for longer timeframes in appropriate circumstances.

Low information stocks

I support the proposal to create a new provision for adjusting TACs for low information stocks.

I do not support restricting the provision through an inflexible Schedule of stocks.

Better integrate social, cultural, and economic factors when deciding a rebuild period

I support the proposal to clarify that social, cultural and economic factors are relevant considerations alongside biological and environmental factors when determining all aspects of a TAC.

Recognition of non-regulatory measures

I support the concurrent implementation of both options 1 and 2 so that the Minister may consider any non-regulatory measure and must consider measures specified on a Notice.

I support including minimum harvest size and spatial avoidance areas on the initial Notice alongside catch-spreading and shelving.

Differential ACE carry forward

I support option 2 which would provide additional ACE carry forward for a stock for one year in exceptional circumstances. This would provide flexibility when normal fishing activity is significantly impacted from events unrelated to sustainability.

I do not consider that option 1, which would increase the generic carry forward percentage from 10% to 15%, would deliver the same benefits and do not support this option.

Carry forward of ACE for rock lobster stocks

I support enabling the ability to provide one year, one stock, ACE carry forward arrangements for rock lobster stocks with 75% quota owner support.

I do not support option 1 which would remove rock lobster stocks from Schedule 5A, making them subject to generic carry forward provisions.

Increasing the threshold for suspension of fishing permit for non-payment of deemed value

I support the proposal to increase the threshold in section 79 of the Act which automatically suspends a fishing permit if the holder owes in excess of $1000.

Part 2 - Greater protection for on-board camera footage and ensuring the on-board camera programme is workable

Camera footage protections for on-board cameras

I firmly support option 2 to exempt camera footage from Official Information Act requests. This would give fishers' privacy and wellbeing the most protection as well as being the most efficient option.

Amendments to the scope of on-board cameras

I support the proposals to remove the requirement to have cameras installed on identified classes of vessels.

I consider that the removal of the requirement for these vessels to install cameras reduces the costs of the camera programme without significantly affecting our ability to monitor New Zealand fisheries as a whole.

Clarifying camera use requirements

I support removal of the requirement to monitor the transportation of fish. Monitoring of fish transportation is not needed to verify fisher reports or detect fisheries related offences.

I do not support the proposed options as they inappropriately and unnecessarily result in excessive monitoring costs.

I support an approach that requires cameras to operate for the minimum amount of time necessary to provide adequate information on fishing activity for verification and monitoring purposes.

Part 3 - Implementing new rules for commercial fishers that set out when QMS fish must be landed and when they can be returned to sea

Monitored returns

I support the provision of monitored returns as an exception for landing QMS fish. I consider that monitored returns is an excellent way to leverage the on-board camera programme to deliver fisheries management benefits and reduce costs and fish going to landfill.

Reducing verification and reporting complexities

I support the proposals to remove certain existing landing exceptions.

Adjusting TAC settings to reflect changes in landing exceptions

I support the rationale for increasing the Total Allowable Commercial Catch (TACC) for stocks that have a landing exception revoked. I support this additional tonnage being shifted to the TACC from the allowance for Other Sources of Fishing related Mortality (OSFRM).

I consider that one year of fisher reported returns will not provide a wholly accurate quantum for the TACC increase.

I support a Total Allowable Catch review for stocks where there is no or negligible OSFRM to provide to the TACC. I consider that the reviews should be completed before the exceptions are revoked.

Simplify the review process for the review of Minimum Legal Size (MLS) exceptions

I support the proposal to move the regulations relating to finfish MLS from the Commercial Fishing Regulations into the Landing and Discards Notice.

Amend the defence for commercial fishers where a fishery officer can authorise or supervise the return of fish

I support the proposal to remove the requirement for the fishery officer to be present during the time the fish was taken - just when the fish is returned.

Enable a landing exception for the deliberate release of QMS fish at depth using fishing gear or technology that have little to no impact on fish survival

I support the proposal to enable the use of new technologies that can release fish with little to no mortality and increase the selectivity of fishing operations.

Personal Statement [optional]

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