Electronic catch and position technology

Electronic catch and position reporting technology guidance

Check the guidance on choosing the best electronic reporting technology for you:

• Technology solutions guide (full colour) [PDF, 359 KB]
• Technology solutions guide (black and white, simple text) [PDF, 440 KB]

Technology options

The table below lists available electronic catch (e-logbook) and position reporting (GPR) products.

How to know a reporting device meets the right standards

It's your responsibility to make sure you have technology that meets the requirements of the regulations. Fisheries New Zealand does not certify any product as being compliant, however suppliers are obliged to confirm to you that their device will allow you to meet those requirements. Position reporting providers are contractually obliged to have tested the devices they are putting on the market for fishers to ensure that they can report as required.

E-logbook providers field-trial their products to ensure that they provide reports to FishServe that meet the regulatory requirements.

The cost of the equipment

There are setup costs and ongoing costs for both types of reporting. Setup costs include buying the reporting technology:

• an electronic logbook (e-logbook) for catch reporting, and
• a geospatial position reporting (GPR) device for position reporting.

A range of technology options are available for each reporting type. Talk with technology providers to determine the best solution for your fishing operation and the costs that will be associated with it.

Registration costs

There is a fee to register your devices with FishServe:

• $92 to register a GPR device if you complete the application online ($184 if you make a manual paper application)
• $34.50 to register an e-logbook.

All prices include GST.

Find out more about fees and levies – FishServe

Ongoing costs, including data transmission

Ongoing costs include the transmission of e-logbook and GPR data. Costs vary depending on a number of factors, including whether you fish within cellular or satellite range.

If you usually fish over longer time periods, you will incur more ongoing data transmission costs than if you fish irregularly or for shorter time periods. Some technology suppliers may charge a monthly data transmission rate. Others may charge you per transmission.

Talk to technology providers about the expected transmission costs for your fishing method and location. Ask them about options for your type of fishing operation (for example, seasonal, one-day, or multi-day trips).

AIS – a position reporting alternative

Automatic identification system (AIS) transponders meet the requirements for a GPR device. They're cost-effective and might be suitable for some vessels. They can be easily installed with off-the-shelf hardware from several marine electronics providers in New Zealand.

Things to know before using AIS

Before using AIS, it's important to know about:

• how it makes a vessel's location available
• its coverage limitations.

AIS makes your vessel’s location public

AIS was first used to help prevent vessels from colliding, so your vessel's location is made publicly available. Fishers should consider this if they don't want their fishing location known.

Coverage limitations

AIS also has limitations in coverage. For example, you should operate in areas where coverage is greater than 12 decibels for it to work reliably. Reports are still received in lower-decibel areas or via satellite AIS receivers, but may not meet AIS position report requirements. The requirement is that MPI receives 1 position report every 3 minutes.

The position requirement for all other GPR solutions is 1 position report every 10 minutes.

Finding out if your choice of AIS meets requirements

Talk with your local marine electronics provider to see if AIS might work as a position reporting solution for you. They might say you're likely to be moving through an area with borderline coverage. If so, MPI is prepared to monitor an AIS unit temporarily to determine if it meets the position reporting requirements.

If you want to work with an electronics provider and MPI to trial an AIS option, email fisheriesNZ@mpi.govt.nz