What fisheries observers do
Fisheries Observers help us to manage our fisheries sustainably. They collect information onboard commercial fishing vessels to independently verify data on fish being caught. They also collect information about:
- marine mammals and seabirds (by-catch and sightings)
- biological information to help with assessing fish stocks
- unusual specimens for museums
- information about vessel safety and employment
- fish processing information.
Observers provide independent data on fishing catch and effort
The data that observers collect is independent. They compare it against data from the fishing boats. They keep a separate logbook recording catch and effort. This includes catch information and amounts for all species caught. They also record details of fishing operations, like:
- start and finish times
- positions and places where fish were caught
- fishing and bottom depths
- devices and practices to protect protected species (like seabirds and marine mammals)
- catch data for each tow or set.
Data collected for other agencies
Observers collect information for Fisheries New Zealand as well as for:
Number of days that observers spend at sea
When it comes to planning how many observers are required to be at sea for different fisheries, Fisheries New Zealand and the Department of Conservation work together each year to develop a 'seadays plan'.
These plans always run from 1 July to 30 June of the next year. Seadays are also used to determine how much money is cost-recovered from the different quota holders.
2025–2026 observer seadays plan
Each year, Fisheries New Zealand and the Department of Conservation plan the number of observer days needed at sea for different fisheries and clients. The 'seaday plan' is for 1 July to 30 June each year.
The following tables show the current number of sea days planned for each fishery and the total delivered up to 1 July 2025.
Inshore fisheries
| Fishery | Total planned | Total achieved (as at 1 July 2025) |
|---|---|---|
| Crayfish 1 - potting | 25 | 0 |
| Crayfish 2 - potting | 25 | 0 |
| Crayfish 3 - potting | 30 | 0 |
| Crayfish 4 - potting | 30 | 0 |
| Crayfish 5 - potting | 40 | 0 |
| Crayfish 7 - potting | 30 | 0 |
| Crayfish 8 - potting | 50 | 0 |
| Set net – Butterfish 5 | 15 | 0 |
| Surf Clams | 5 | 0 |
Deepwater (Middle-depth) fisheries
| Fishery | Total planned | Total achieved (as at 1 July 2025) |
|---|---|---|
| Southern blue whiting | 200 | 0 |
| Squid | 1050 | 0 |
| West Coast North Island | 300 | 0 |
| West Coast South Island | 350 | 0 |
| Chatham Rise Middle Depth | 527 | 0 |
| Sub-Antarctic Middle Depth | 400 | 0 |
| WCSI Hoki-Inside the line | 65 | 0 |
| Scampi 6A | 450 | 0 |
| Scampi Other | 300 | 0 |
| LIN BLL >34m | 300 | 0 |
| LIN - potting | 124 | 0 |
Deepwater (other) fisheries
| Fishery | Total planned | Total achieved (as at 1 July 2025) |
|---|---|---|
| North Island Deepwater | 110 | 0 |
| Chatham Rise Deepwater | 290 | 0 |
| Sub-Antarctic Deepwater | 100 | 0 |
| West Coast Deepwater | 70 | 0 |
Other
| Fishery1 | Compliance | Requested days/permit requirements (industry) |
Total planned | Total achieved (as at 1 July 2025) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Compliance | 100 | 100 | 0 | |
| CCAMLR1 | 200 | 200 | 0 | |
| SPFRMO1 trawl | 50 | 50 | 0 | |
| SPRFMO1 bottom long-line | 10 | 10 | 0 | |
| SPRFMO1 Exploratory bottom long-line | 60 | 60 | 0 | |
| Days provided on request (VSCF/OAD) | 300 | 300 | 0 | |
| Camera high priority exemptions | 20 | 20 | 0 | |
| Medium risk vessels | 60 | 60 | 0 |
Other
| Fishery | Total planned | Total completed (as at 1 July 2025) |
|---|---|---|
| Training | 0 | 0 |
1CCAMLR – Commission for the Conservation of the Antarctic Marine Living Resources, SPFRMO – South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organisation, WCPFC – Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Management Commission
What proportion of commercial fishing is monitored by a fisheries observer?
The best way of understanding how much fishing is independently verified by a fisheries observer is through measuring fishing effort.
Find out about commercial fishing monitored by observers
If an observer is on your boat
You must take an observer on your boat if we ask you to. This is a requirement under the Fisheries Act 1996. You must provide them with:
- food
- accommodation
- access to the boat, records, fish, crew, and equipment
- full access to communication devices on the boat
- help to complete their duties.
Observers are not enforcement officers. However, they must record any potential offences that they observe.
Heath and safety assessment before leaving port
A commercial fishing boat must pass a health and safety assessment before it leaves port with an observer on it. This helps us to meet obligations under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015. Fisheries New Zealand does the assessment.
We're making a risk assessment process
We're making a risk assessment process for boats that will have an observer on board. This will help to:
- work out how often your boat needs a health and safety assessment
- reduce disruption that the assessments might cause
- help everyone with meeting their health and safety obligations.
What the assessment involves
We have assessment forms for both inshore and deepwater boats. Fishers should read these to make sure they understand what the assessments will involve.
We've updated these in response to COVID-19.
Deep water pre-placement health and safety assessment form [PDF, 137 KB]
Inshore pre-placement health and safety assessment form [PDF, 137 KB]
Previous seadays plans
2024-2025 observer seadays [PDF, 133 KB]
2023-2024 observer seadays [PDF, 142 KB]
2022-2023 observer seadays [PDF, 132 KB]
2021-2022 observer seadays [PDF, 132 KB]
2020-2021 observer seadays [PDF, 135 KB]
2019-2020 observer seadays [PDF, 128 KB]
2018-2019 observer seadays [PDF, 45 KB]
2017-2018 observer seadays [PDF, 360 KB]
2016-2017 observer seadays [PDF, 358 KB]
