Research Services Strategy
Background
The Ministry of Fisheries contracts science research to assess fish abundance and sustainability, and the effects of fishing on the environment, and to survey and assess New Zealand’s marine biodiversity. This research underpins sustainable fisheries management in New Zealand. In particular, it supports management actions around changing catch limits and managing environmental effects of fishing.
The integrity of the science is a key underpinning for evidence-based management decisions for New Zealand’s fisheries and is critical for maintaining and demonstrating the credibility of New Zealand fisheries management.
A significant proportion of research is cost-recovered from the commercial fishing sector.
The collaborative review aims to:
- look at how the Ministry decides its research priorities and projects, and how these link to objective-based Fisheries Plans;
- review opportunities for alternative provision of research, and what standards need to be in place around this; and
- look at other ways we could make our fisheries management and fisheries research more efficient and cost-effective, including reviewing the Ministry’s research tendering and contract management processes.
The collaborative review team of Ministry and industry participants recently completed the review of research services. This report, the Research Services Strategy review (RSS) was developed to address how to improve the planning, prioritisation and procurement of research services in New Zealand marine fisheries.
The review makes thirteen recommendations. Wayne McNee, Ministry of Fisheries Chief Executive recently accepted these recommendations as being compatible with Fisheries 2030 and approved implementation.
Feedback on implementation of the recommendations is welcome until 30 April 2010. For more information please see the notification letter [ 
notification letter - (PDF 226kb)] from the Ministry regarding the RSS final report.
The full RSS report can be accessed here [ RSS Report - (PDF 1.5MB)].