Accessing high seas fisheries under regional arrangements
Access fisheries NZ is a party to
New Zealand is a party to several regional fisheries arrangements. You can apply to fish in these areas when you complete your high seas permit application form.
Access fisheries NZ isn't a party to
We can't authorise vessels to fish for stocks managed under regional arrangements that New Zealand isn't a party to. Your high seas fishing permit prohibits fishing for these stocks.
Get permission to fish
In some cases you can access these fisheries by getting approval from us.
To apply for access, contact Fisheries New Zealand by emailing info@mpi.govt.nz
We'll contact the organisation and try to arrange access. For example, New Zealand may agree to the organisation's conservation and management rules or may become a member of the arrangement.
Arrangements New Zealand isn't a party to
| Arrangement or organisation | Area | Stock managed |
|---|---|---|
| IATTC (Convention for the Establishment of an Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission) |
Eastern Pacific Ocean |
|
| ICCAT (International Convention for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas) |
Atlantic Ocean and adjacent seas |
|
| NAFO (Convention on future multilateral co-operation in the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries) |
Northwest Atlantic Ocean |
|
| IOTC (Indian Ocean Tuna Commission) |
Indian Ocean and adjacent seas (north of Antarctic Convergence) |
|
| GFCM (General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean) |
Mediterranean and adjacent waters | All aquatic resources |
| IPHC (International Pacific Halibut Commission) |
Territorial waters of Canada and USA and high seas off western Canada and USA | Halibut |
| NEAFC (Northeast Atlantic Fisheries Commission) |
North East Atlantic and Arctic Oceans |
All fisheries resources except:
|
What to expect
If you get approval to fish in waters under a regional arrangement, we'll send you an authorisation with the conditions you need to meet.
If we can't provide approval, we'll let you know the reasons why.
The time to process your application will depend on the regional organisation, so apply as soon as you can.
Who to contact
If you have questions about access to high seas fisheries under a regional arrangement, email info@mpi.govt.nz