High Seas Fishing Permit Conditions

INTRODUCTION

This information provides a general outline of the conditions that are likely to be included in a high seas fishing permit. The information is being presented in general indicative terms; the language of a permit will be more detailed and specific. Furthermore, permits may be issued with conditions that vary considerably from the information presented below.

LIKELY CONTENT OF CONDITIONS 

1. The permit or a copy of it must be carried on board the vessel.
2. The following information needs to be notified to the Ministry of Fisheries:
   1. Intention to leave port;
   2. Entry/exit from any EEZ or restricted area;
   3. Intention to enter port;
   4. Intention to dispose of or receive fish by way of transhipment.
3. Observers may have to be carried.
4. The vessel must be inspected before leaving a New Zealand port.
5. An Automatic Location Communicator must be carried and operated on the vessel.
6. The vessel must be marked in accordance with the Fisheries (Commercial Fishing) Regulations 2001. Tenders must also be marked.
7. Landing in to a New Zealand port must be to a Licensed Fish Receiver and a Fishery Officer or scientific observer must supervise the landing.
8. Landing in to a foreign port requires the prior written approval of the chief executive.
9. Transhipment that takes place on a trip - either to or from the vessel - requires the prior written approval of the chief executive.
10. Reporting requirements:
    1. Specific high seas returns need to be completed for vessels that are trawling, squid jigging or tuna longlining. If landing in to New Zealand, these vessels must also furnish catch landing returns;
    2. For vessels that do not fall into any of the above categories, special high seas catch effort and landing returns must be completed. The landing section of these returns must be completed for vessels landing into New Zealand;
    3. High seas returns are similar to domestic returns. The main differences will be highlighted in the permit conditions. People filling out the returns should read the explanatory notes carefully and must comply with them as if they were permit conditions.
11. The activity of the vessel within any EEZ (New Zealand's or foreign country's) will be subject to requirements:
    1. When a vessel leaves a New Zealand port to fish on the high seas, it must go directly to the high seas and not engage in any fishing unless it has an approval from the chief executive;
    2. When a vessel enters the New Zealand EEZ, it must go directly to port and not engage in any fishing unless it has an approval from the chief executive;
    3. When a vessel leaves a foreign port to fish on the high seas, it must go directly to the high seas and not engage in any fishing unless it has an approval from the relevant authority of the foreign country to fish in that country's EEZ;
    4. When a vessel enters the foreign country's EEZ, it must go directly port and not engage in any fishing unless it has an approval from relevant authority of the foreign country.
12. Whenever the vessel is in an area where fishing, or certain types of fishing, is not permitted, the relevant fishing equipment will have to be stowed so that it is not readily available.
13. Requirements relating to specific stocks/areas:
    1. For a vessel to be able to trawl on the "Westpac Bank" area of the Challenger Plateau adjacent to New Zealand's EEZ, an approval from the chief executive is required;
    2. For a vessel to engage in fishing for any straddling or highly migratory fish stocks that are subject to measures established by an organisations or arrangements listed in the permit, prior approval of the chief executive is required. See the material on area/stock specific authorisations for a discussion of how to obtain an approval from the chief executive.

CONTACT DETAILS

For enquiries related to permit conditions, please contact:

                FishServe 
                P O Box 297 
                WELLINGTON 
                Telephone: +64 4 460 4694 
                Fax: +64 4 460 4701 
                Email: helpline@fishserve.co.nz
                Website: http://www.fishserve.co.nz/