Fisheries Communication Centre
About the centre
The Fisheries New Zealand Communications Centre monitors, tracks and communicates with commercial fishing vessels in New Zealand. Fishing vessels notify the centre when they:
- arrive in port
- leave a port
- enter a restricted area (an area where fishing is restricted)
- transfer crew or stores, or do repairs
- shelter and transit in restricted areas
- have issues with an Automatic Location Communicator (ALC)
- transfer fish to another vessel (at-sea transhipment) – you must have prior approval from us for all transhipments
- do anything that must be reported under the vessel's registration or permit.
How to contact the centre
Notify the Fisheries Communications Centre (FCC) of your vessel activity or plans by emailing FCC@fish.govt.nz
We prefer email, but you can also contact us by:
- fax: +64 4 801 5381
- phone: +64 4 801 5782
Opening hours
We are open from 9am to 4:30pm, Monday to Friday (except public holidays).
How much notice we need
The amount of notice you need to give us about different vessel activities is provided in:
- your vessel permit
- the Fisheries (Commercial Fishing) Regulations 2001
- instructions for high seas fishing vessels
Permit holders requesting a monitored unload
Contact the centre at least one full business day before you arrive in port. If you notify us after 4:30pm on a Friday, you may have to wait several days before you can unload.
Automatic Location Communicators (ALCs)
Contact the Fisheries Communication Centre if you have issues with a registered ALC on your fishing vessel.
ALCs are registered in New Zealand through FishServe and must meet our ALC standards.
Find out about registering an ALC
ALC standards [PDF, 565 KB]
Instructions for high seas fishing vessels
You must carry your vessel's high seas fishing permit or an exact copy of it on board when away. Your permit has details of activities you must notify MPI about – including some that are specific to your vessel.
Some of the general requirements under a high seas fishing permit include notifying us:
- 5 working days before your vessel leaves port for the high seas
- 24 hours before your vessel enters or leaves any restricted area or NZ fisheries waters – the exclusive economic zone (EEZ)
- immediately as your vessel enters or exits New Zealand fisheries waters, or any restricted area
- immediately as your vessel enters or exits any foreign fishing management area
- 48 hours before arriving in any port (New Zealand or elsewhere).
Request an observer exemption for unloading
MPI may already have an observer on your fishing vessel to monitor your activities at sea. If so, you may not need an additional observer to monitor unloading of fish. Ask for an observer exemption 5 working days before you arrive in port.
These are the minimum reporting requirements for a foreign fishing vessel arriving from the high seas. If your vessel has approval from MPI to carry fish (a section 113 approval), follow the requirements of the approval.
24 hours before you plan to enter or exit New Zealand's EEZ
Provide your vessel's:
- name and international call sign
- intended action (entering or exiting the EEZ)
- planned entry or exit position (latitude and longitude)
- species, quantity and condition of catch, or state if you aren't carrying any fish products.
Message format
NAME / CALL SIGN / INTENDED ACTION /PLANNED LA 1111 / LO 11111 / CATCH
Immediately as you enter or exit New Zealand's EEZ
Provide:
- report type (ZENT for entry and ZEXT for exit)
- date and time (UTC)
- name and international call sign of vessel
- position of entry or exit – latitude (LA) and longitude (LO).
Message format
ZENT (or ZEXT) / ddmmyy / TIME / NAME / CALL SIGN / LA 1111 / LO 11111
72 hours before port entry
Provide:
- report type (PENT)
- date and time (UTC)
- name and international call sign of vessel
- estimated time of entry into port (UTC)
- port name
- intended action in port.
Message format
PENT / ddmmyy / TIME / NAME / CALL SIGN / LA 1111 / LO 11111 / ETA / PORT NAME / INTENDED ACTION
Every day while in the New Zealand EEZ
Provide your noon position.
Vessels carrying fish
Apply for approval to possess fish in New Zealand fisheries waters (a section 113 approval) at least 10 working days before your vessel enters the New Zealand EEZ.
Application form for approval to possess fish (s113 form) [PDF, 189 KB]
Read the s113 rules – Fisheries Act 1996
Foreign fishing vessels arriving from the high seas must have approval from MPI before they arrive with fish in New Zealand fisheries waters (the New Zealand EEZ). This applies whether you plan to unload the fish, or keep the fish on board.
You can only unload fish at one of the following authorised ports:
- Auckland
- Bluff
- Dunedin
- Gisborne
- Lyttelton
- Napier
- Nelson
- New Plymouth
- Port Chalmers
- Tauranga
- Timaru
- Wellington
- Whangārei.