OBSERVER COVERAGE SUMMARY
- 49% of the catch by the deepwater fleet was observed by a fisheries observer in 2024–25.
- Deepwater coverage for the 2024–25 fishing year was 32.3%.
- Monitoring of inshore and highly migratory fleets has transitioned from observers to onboard cameras.
When we use fisheries observers
Observers are placed on commercial fishing vessels across the different fishing fleets and monitor a variety of fishing methods.
Observers are more likely to be placed on vessels where there is a higher chance of interactions with protected species. For example, observer coverage is much higher in the Southern Squid Trawl Fishery (SQU6T), in line with Operational Plan to Manage the Incidental Capture of New Zealand Sea Lions.
Measuring the amount of fisheries observer coverage
We are often asked what percentage of the fishing that takes place in New Zealand waters is also independently verified by a fisheries observer.
Understanding the amount of observer coverage in a fishery is fundamental to analysing the impacts of fishing on fish stocks, protected species, and the marine environment.
Fisheries New Zealand separates the reporting for observer coverage across 3 different fleets:
The best way of measuring observer coverage across the different fleets is through measuring what is known as 'fishing effort'. This means there is a standard way of reporting, and we can compare observer coverage across different fishing fleets and fishing methods.
Coverage can also be calculated based on 'days' or 'trips' observed. Using a fishing effort-based metric is preferred, as it accounts for differences in fishing methods and provides a comparable measure of coverage across different fleets.
How we define fishing effort
To measure observer coverage, Fisheries New Zealand calculates the amount of fishing that takes place in 'units of fishing effort'.
One unit of fishing effort equals one of these events:
- one trawl event
- 1,000 hooks used by bottom long line vessels
- 100 hooks used by surface long line vessels
- 1 km of net used by set net vessels
- one purse seine event.
Using data from electronic reporting, Fisheries New Zealand can measure the total fishing effort that takes place across New Zealand waters.
When we compare this to the fishing effort that takes place when a fisheries observer is on board, we can then measure the total percentage of observer coverage.
Observer coverage for the previous 13 fishing years
| Fishing Year (October-September) | Deepwater | HMS | Inshore |
|---|---|---|---|
|
2012–13 |
30.5% |
15.8% |
0.5% |
|
2013–14 |
26.3% |
26.2% |
2.9% |
|
2014–15 |
24.6% |
25.0% |
3.0% |
|
2015–16 |
25.3% |
13.8% |
2.5% |
|
2016–17 |
27.6% |
16.5% |
6.4% |
|
2017–18 |
35.6% |
13.1% |
5.5% |
|
2018–19 |
28.8% |
9.5% |
3.9% |
|
2019–20 |
32.1% |
9.6% |
6.2% |
|
2020–21 |
24.4% |
11.2% |
5.5% |
|
2021–22 |
33.1% |
5.6% |
5.4% |
|
2022–23 |
36.2% |
3.2% |
2.2% |
|
2023–24 |
39.1% |
0.2% |
1.3% |
|
2024–25 |
32.3% |
0.0% |
1.1% |
Fisheries New Zealand’s rollout of the on-board cameras started in the 2022–23 fishing year, and was completed in May 2025. On-board cameras are operating across in-scope fishing methods, predominantly within the HMS and Inshore fleet. This has resulted in a substantial increase in monitoring and verification via the onboard cameras, and a corresponding decrease in observer coverage.
The following vessels are required to operate cameras:
- Trawling vessels 8 metres to 32 metres in length, except those targeting scampi.
- Set net vessels greater than or equal to 8 metres, except when using one or more tenders to haul the nets.
- Surface longline vessels greater than or equal to 8 metres.
- Bottom longline vessels 8 metres to 32 metres in length.
- Purse seine vessels greater than or equal to 8 metres.
- Danish seine vessels greater than or equal to 8 metres.
Deepwater coverage for the 2024–25 fishing year at 32.3% is lower than the previous year, which is largely due to a decrease in observer coverage in the Squid Trawl fishery where Fisheries New Zealand has reduced the minimum observer coverage from 90% to 70%. This high level of observer coverage remains sufficient to estimate total sea lion mortalities and understand the potential impact of fishing on the New Zealand sea lion population.
In 2024–25 there was an increase in observer coverage in the ling potting fleet, reflecting the increased in use of this method. These events are not currently included in the observer coverage calculations. Observer coverage for deepwater potting events will be included in future updates, once a comparable 'unit of fishing effort' for potting is determined that can compared across multiple fishing methods.
The percentage of catch observed in the deepwater fleet at 49%, is very similar to that in 2023–24 at 50%. This high level reflects the prioritisation of observer coverage for high volume fisheries and vessels. Low levels of observed catch for inshore and HMS fisheries reflects the transition to onboard cameras.
Percentage of catch by fleet that was observed during the 2024–2025 fishing year
| Fleet | Percentage of all fish caught by the fleet that was observed |
|---|---|
|
Deepwater |
49% |
|
Highly migratory species |
0% |
|
Inshore |
5% |
Find out more
On-board cameras for commercial fishing vessels
Review of onboard camera footage
The role of fisheries observers and having an observer on your vessel
Contact us
If you have questions, email info@mpi.govt.nz
