Fisheries and conservation services levies

Update – 11 June 2025

Fisheries Cost Recovery Levies Annual Report 2023–24 published

This report provides information about the fisheries and conservation services levies collected to support the sustainable utilisation of fisheries resources. It reports on how the 2023–24 levies collected through the Fisheries (Cost Recovery Levies for Fisheries Services) Order 2023 and the Fisheries (Cost Recovery Levies for Conservation Services) Order 2023 were spent. The report also outlines the work Fisheries New Zealand is doing to increase the efficiency with which fisheries and conservation services are delivered.

This is the first of ongoing annual reports. The next report covering the 2024–25 levies is expected to be available in late 2025.

Fisheries Cost Recovery Levies Annual Report 2023–24 [PDF, 772 KB]

About the levies

We charge commercial fishers regular levies for:

fisheries services that relate to managing commercial fisheries
conservation services (on behalf of the Department of Conservation).

What you'll be charged

You will be charged:

monthly levies for every quota share you own
an annual levy based on the weight of non-quota species (albacore tuna, seal shark, skipjack tuna, and octopus) you landed under a fishing permit (issued under the Fisheries Act 1996).

We update the cost-recovery levy orders for the fishing industry every year.

Download the latest levies [XLSX, 74 KB]

Services covered by levies

Levies cover costs of:

monitoring commercial fishing activities
fisheries stock assessment research
research necessary to manage and mitigate the effects of commercial fishing on the aquatic environment and biodiversity, including protected species
monitoring commercial fishing activity through observer coverage
administering commercial fishing services, registries, and quota.