Frequently Asked Questions

User guides

Are there any guides available to learn how to use the system?

Training material and guidance is provided as part of the wider rollout. Fishers are provided with a Spark Fisher Quick Reference  Guide, and also a Spark Electronic Monitoring System Guide for On-Board Cameras.  These guides give instructions on how to operate the on-board cameras system, and on what to do and who to contact if you encounter any problems. Note: the links to both guides will be made available soon.

Installation guidance

Which vessels are in scope for cameras and what is the timing for the rollout?

The most recent updates on the on-board cameras programme are available on 'On-board cameras installation process'.

On-board cameras installation process

I am not sure if I’ll do "in-scope" fishing or not

If you think your vessel won’t carry out in-scope fishing activities, but you’re still finalising your plans, please keep in mind it takes up to 10 weeks to work through the on-board cameras installation process. This allows time to conduct the initial assessment and confirm a vessel installation plan, before the final installation can be booked in. If there’s a chance you’ll need cameras installed, it is important we hear from you as soon as possible to ensure the system can be installed in time, if needed. Contact: onboardcameras@mpi.govt.nz

How will the cameras be installed on my vessel?

The on-board cameras system is installed by qualified technicians approved by our service provider. You will need to be in port for the system to be installed, after agreeing with a time that suits you best. For more information, visit our 'On-board cameras installation process' page.

How will the locations of the cameras and their fields of view be determined?

Before any cameras are installed, the installers conduct an onboard assessment with the vessel owner and agree on a vessel installation plan. This plan confirms the camera locations, fields of view and any important privacy considerations, and must be approved by the vessel owner before cameras are installed. For more information, visit our 'On-board cameras installation process' page. 

What will the cameras see?

The purpose of the cameras is to provide footage of in-scope fishing activity needed to achieve the monitoring objectives. The field of view for each camera is set out and confirmed with individual vessel owners in the vessel installation plan, where privacy considerations are also taken into account. The cameras are not intended to see all areas of the deck or parts a vessel unrelated to fishing such as the bridge, crew quarters, messes, heads, or the engine room.

Cameras provide reviewers with footage of:

• Fishing gear deployment and retrieval
• Any protected species mitigation measures and devices used

As part of the installation, the cameras are connected to a real-time display monitor in the wheelhouse, showing the camera’s field of view on the screen. This provides fishers with a real-time view of what each camera sees. This is a display screen only, and it is not possible to rewind or interact with the footage in any other way.

What are fishers responsible for?

Fishers are responsible for ensuring the system is recording footage (switch turned to 'ACTIVE') when they are conducting in-scope fishing and that all cameras are viewable on the monitor provided. If there are any issues with the system, they need to call the Spark Support Service Desk on 0800 225 674, as soon as practicable.

Although fishers are not responsible for undertaking maintenance on the on-board cameras systems, they are required to work with MPI and Spark to ensure the equipment is maintained.

Do the cameras record all the time?

The cameras are not recording all the time. You can turn the cameras off when you are finished fishing using "in-scope" methods or are not using "in-scope" methods. This is done by turning the system’s switch to ‘STANDY’.

Note: The system will continue to securely upload footage to the cloud for up to 5 hours after the on-board cameras system is set to 'STANDBY'. The minimal power required during this period will not drain the vessel’s batteries, and the system will completely shut down after a maximum of 5 hours.

What happens if the cameras aren’t working?

If there is a problem with the operation of the on-board cameras system, a fisher can contact the Spark Support Service Desk on 0800 225 674 for immediate support. The line is staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Fishers can call this number to log any issues identified prior to departure or that occur at sea. The Service Desk staff will work to urgently resolve issues while aiming to minimise any potential disruption to fishing activities. In some cases, if the issue cannot be resolved quickly, an exemption may have to be issued. This will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.

If an equipment malfunction occurs while a fishing trip is underway, fishers are able complete that trip, as long as they call Spark Support Service Desk on 0800 225 674 to notify of the malfunction, as soon as practicable.

What if I plan to sell my vessel?

Keep MPI updated on any potential change of ownership or circumstance. If the sale of your vessel is being considered, please contact MPI at onboardcameras@mpi.govt.nz and they can provide specific advice.

What if I have another set of (non-MPI) cameras on my vessel?

For any other cameras, vessel operators will need to talk to the owner of other existing camera systems and confirm if they would like that system to remain in place or not. Spark are happy to confirm the preferred approach during the initial installation assessment, and arrange to either:

1. Remove the existing system during installation of the new system.
2. Leave any current systems intact and install the new system independently of existing wiring.

Cost

How much does it cost?

There are no direct costs to vessel owners for the installation of cameras, any necessary remediation, ongoing regular maintenance, or the transfer of data once the system is installed.

The Government is covering the bulk of the overall costs of the rollout (a total of $68M). The proportion of costs that industry will be asked to contribute (up to $10M) will be collected on a stock-specific basis from quota owners, through the levy system on specific fish stocks during the rollout over the 2023/2024 and 2024/2025 fishing years.

No costs were recovered for the initial 2022/2023 fishing year. Following the rollout, from 2025/2026 onwards, any camera-related operating costs will be recovered through the annual quota levy process. MPI expects to know the ongoing costs of the programme by late 2024/ early 2025, and will be working to minimise it. MPI will provide further information as soon as it is available.

For more information about how on-board cameras levies are determined, read Annex A of the 'Consultation on proposed fisheries and conservation services levies (2023/2024)'.

Consultation on proposed fisheries and conservation services levies (2023/2024) [PDF, 536 KB]

Data storage and privacy concerns

Who owns the cameras system, footage and data?

Once the system is installed, the on-board cameras system is owned by MPI. Both the footage and the data are also owned by MPI and securely held to meet the New Zealand Government information security and privacy requirements.

Where is the data stored?

All fishing activity captured by the cameras is encrypted and stored securely on the vessel hard drive. When the Spark mobile network is available, the encrypted data is uploaded to the cloud.

How will the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) protect fishers’ privacy?

MPI is required under the 'Privacy Act 2020' to take all reasonable security safeguards to ensuring the privacy, security, and confidentiality of all the information it collects, holds and uses (subject to any applicable legislation or court orders requiring or authorising disclosure). We also value that the way we collect and manage information is important to maintain the trust and confidence from the public, fishers and all stakeholders we work with. This is why we have put in place the following key mechanisms for on-board cameras to ensure fisher privacy is protected in accordance with applicable legislation:

Cameras and observers

If a vessel has cameras installed, does that mean observers are no longer required?

For vessels operating with in-scope fishing methods, on-board cameras are expected to become the primary verification tool used by MPI. It is expected they will replace observers in most situations. 

However, observers perform one of the most important functions of the work that MPI does: they collect critical data and information in what are often very challenging conditions. Observers are likely to be the most effective approach where additional information is needed beyond what cameras can provide, such as more detailed scientific data and research. There are also some instances where our international commitments may require the ongoing use of observers.

Note: Approximately 70% of our observer coverage during previous years has occurred on vessels that are not in-scope to receive cameras and will not be affected by the wider rollout. The wider rollout of on-board cameras will also not alter the role for observers on deep water vessels.

Other questions

Can artificial intelligence estimate the size of fish being hauled? 

This is not something the system will be able to do from the start. However, the capability may be available down the track as the camera technology and artificial intelligence further develop.

Will data drives be required or are we using a real-time system?

With this new system, the footage will be uploaded digitally and automatically. Manual data transfer using data drives (similar to the system the Proof-of-Concept vessels have been using since 2019) will only be used as an exception process in case of inability to transfer over the network.

Why are scampi vessels exempt?

Scampi trawl vessels are not being considered at this time, as they are considered deep-water trawl vessels and have high rates of observer coverage. There is likely to be a continued need for observer coverage on scampi trawl vessels in the future, due to the management requirement for capturing biological information (such as scampi length) used to inform stock assessments.

When are cameras going to be installed on vessels that are currently "out-of-scope" for the programme?

On-board cameras are not being proposed for other vessels at this time.

What is happening with the 2019 "Proof-of-Concept" vessels?

A small number of vessels were fitted with cameras in 2019, which we refer to as the “Proof-of-Concept” vessels. The new cameras use a different system, and Spark expects to upgrade it following the installations for vessels that are new to cameras. Until then, Proof-of-Concept vessels need to continue to meet their existing requirements for footage capture with their current system.