What is digital monitoring?
Digital monitoring is made up of:
- electronic catch reporting via an e-logbook – to give us high quality and timely information on commercial catch effort
- electronic position reporting – so we can verify (when used with electronic catch reporting) where and when fishing happened
- on-board cameras – so we can verify what is being reported.
Electronic catch and position reporting
Why use digital monitoring?
Digital monitoring helps support sustainable fisheries.
A digital system for tracking, reporting, and monitoring commercial fishing activity gives us more accurate and up-to-date information to better inform decision-making by government and the fishing industry.
The aim is to:
- maximise the recreational, customary, commercial, and environmental value of New Zealand's fisheries
- give New Zealanders, and consumers from around the world, confidence that fish from our waters are being managed and caught sustainably
- allow Fisheries New Zealand to verify information being reported and encourage compliance.
Other fisheries around the world also use digital technology to report catch, effort, and position data.
Regulations, circulars and exemptions
The regulations to enable digital monitoring and innovative trawl technology came into force on 1 October 2017. Amended regulations for electronic catch and position reporting took effect on 10 January 2019.
Amended regulations for on-board cameras took effect on 1 August 2019.
View the regulations, amendments, and exemptions
Resources, guides, and support
Digital monitoring resources and guides
Support for fishers
Fisheries New Zealand understands that there are many challenges that fishers, their whānau, and their communities face. Find out about some national and regional services that can help and advise on health, wellbeing, and making business decisions.
