Cost recovery proposals for on-board cameras

Have your say

Fisheries New Zealand is seeking feedback on proposals to recover some of the costs associated with on-board cameras used on commercial fishing vessels.

This will involve amending the Fisheries (Cost Recovery) Rules 2001 to provide for the recovery of on-board camera costs from 1 October 2026.

The consultation outlines a proposed approach to recover a portion of programme costs from quota owners. Under this approach:

levy payers would fund on-board equipment, footage review, and compliance activities undertaken by fishery officers
remaining cost categories would be funded by the Crown.

Tell us what you think. We are accepting submissions from 25 September until 5pm on 31 October 2025.

Consultation document

Cost recovery for on-board cameras [PDF, 474 KB]

Making your submission

Email your feedback on the proposals by 5pm on 31 October 2025 to onboardcameras@mpi.govt.nz.

A template is available to help you complete your submission.

Submission form template [DOCX, 107 KB]

While we prefer email, you can post written submissions to:

Consultation: Cost recovery for on-board cameras
Verification and Operations Directorate
Fisheries New Zealand
PO Box 2526
Wellington 6140.

Include the following information:

the title of the consultation document
your name and job title
your contact details (your phone number, address, and email)
if applicable, your organisation’s name and whether you represent the whole organisation or a section of it.

Law and policy relating to on-board cameras

Fisheries Act 1996 – NZ Legislation

Fisheries (Electronic Monitoring on Vessels) Regulations 2017 – NZ Legislation

Fisheries (Cost Recovery) Rules 2001 – NZ Legislation

MPI cost recovery policy guidance [PDF, 1.1 MB]

Background including previous consultation

Wider rollout of on-board cameras (2021 discussion document) [PDF, 5.5 MB]

Summary of submissions received on the 2021 on-board cameras consultation [PDF, 1.1 MB]

Submissions are public information

Note that all, part, or a summary of your submission may be published on this website. Most often this happens when we issue a document that reviews the submissions received.

People can also ask for copies of submissions under the Official Information Act 1982 (OIA). The OIA says we must make the content of submissions available unless we have good reason for withholding it. Those reasons are detailed in sections 6 and 9 of the OIA.

If you think there are grounds to withhold specific information from publication, make this clear in your submission or contact us. Reasons may include that it discloses commercially sensitive or personal information. However, any decision MPI makes to withhold details can be reviewed by the Ombudsman, who may direct us to release it.

Official Information Act 1982 – NZ Legislation

Cost recovery proposals for on-board cameras

Closing date

Contact

Email