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Proposed Fisheries (Electronic Monitoring on Vessels) Circular 2019

Consultation background

Fisheries New Zealand sought feedback on a proposed circular – the Fisheries (Electronic Monitoring on Vessels) Circular 2019.

The draft circular sets out important operating rules for those commercial fishers who will be required to carry and operate cameras on their vessel for fishing trips from 1 November 2019.

The draft circular should be read with the Fisheries (Electronic Monitoring on Vessels) Regulations 2017.

From 1 November 2019, on-board cameras will be operating on up to 28 commercial fishing vessels that historically operated in the area and were considered to have the highest chance of coming in contact with Māui dolphins.

For a formal definition of which vessels are affected, see the Fisheries (Electronic Monitoring on Vessels) Amendment Regulations 2019.

The consultation ran from 26 September until 5pm on Sunday 13 October 2019.

Consultation document

Related information

What's being proposed?

The purpose of the circular is to specify the requirements for fishers who must operate the camera system they have on their vessel, including:

  • the camera equipment to be used
  • installation and maintenance of the camera equipment
  • the provision of video and associated information obtained by the camera equipment to MPI
  • activities that may hinder or assist compliance with the Fisheries (Electronic Monitoring on Vessels) Regulations 2017
  • what to do if there is a technical failure of the camera equipment
  • matters relating to the supply, management, and provision of drives.

Related consultation

Proposed technical amendments to electronic catch and position reporting circulars

Making your submission

Submissions closed at 5pm on 13 October 2019.

Submissions are public information

Note, that any submission you make becomes public information. People can ask for copies of submissions under the Official Information Act 1982 (OIA). The OIA says we have to make submissions available unless we have good reasons for withholding them.  That is explained in sections 6 and 9 of the OIA.

Tell us if you think there are grounds to withhold specific information in your submission. Reasons might include that it's commercially sensitive or it's personal information. However, any decision MPI makes to withhold information can be reviewed by the Ombudsman, who may tell us to release it.

Fisheries New Zealand may post all or parts of any written submission on its website. We'll consider that you have consented to its publication unless clearly stated otherwise in your submission.