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Draft circular for electronic monitoring on vessels

Have your say

The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) is seeking feedback on a draft circular for the digital monitoring of commercial fishing. Circulars are the legal documents that set the standards and specifications for the systems and processes used in digital monitoring.

This is your opportunity to provide feedback on the proposed Fisheries (Electronic Monitoring on Vessels) Circular 2022 for on-board cameras.

The new circular specifies the requirements for fishers who need to have on-board cameras installed and operating on their vessels. It includes:

  • operation and maintenance of electronic monitoring equipment
  • what to do if there is a technical failure of the camera equipment
  • transition requirements for vessels participating in the West Coast of the North Island proof-of-concept camera programme.
  • other matters regarding compliance with the Fisheries (Electronic Monitoring on Vessels) Regulations 2017.

Fisheries (Electronic Monitoring on Vessels) Regulations 2017

Consultation documents

Draft Fisheries (Electronic Monitoring on Vessels) Circular 2022 [PDF, 454 KB]

Fisheries (Electronic Monitoring on Vessels) Circular 2022 – Technical consultation document [PDF, 214 KB]

Making your submission

Send us your feedback by 9am on Monday 18 July 2022.

Email your submission to onboardcameras@mpi.govt.nz

While we prefer email, you can post your written submission to:

EM circular consultation
Digital monitoring
Fisheries New Zealand
Ministry for Primary Industries
PO Box 2526
Wellington 6140
New Zealand.

What to include

Make sure you include in your submission:

  • "EM circular technical consultation response" in the subject line of your email
  • your name and title
  • your organisation's name (if you are submitting on behalf of an organisation, and whether your submission represents the whole organisation or a section of it)
  • your contact details (such as phone number, address, and email).

Find out more

Digital monitoring of commercial fishing

On-board cameras for commercial fishing vessels

Learn more about the first rollout of on-board cameras on 1 November 2019

Wellbeing and other support for commercial fishers and the seafood sector

Fisheries Act 1996 No 88 (as at 01 April 2021), Public Act Contents – NZ Legislation

Fisheries (Cost Recovery) Rules 2001 – NZ Legislation

MPI cost recovery policy guidelines [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 summarising 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