FORMS

CERTIFICATION OF TUNAS & SWORDFISH

• Exports, imports, and domestic sales of southern bluefin tuna must be accompanied by valid Catch Documentation Scheme documents. These documents are required in order to export southern bluefin tuna to members of the Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna (CCSBT), as well as other countries that co-operate with the Commission's requirement (including the USA). Additional requirements including tagging and recording of measurements apply for whole southern bluefin tuna.
• Exports of bigeye tuna, swordfish, northern pacific bluefin tuna and northen atlantic bluefin tuna must be accompanied by a NZ Fish Export Statistical Document, regardless of where the fish was caught. If you fail to do so your fish will likely be declined entry to certain overseas ports.

NZ FISH EXPORT STATISTICAL DOCUMENT

New Zealand has implemented a NZ Fish Export Statistical Document to comply with resolutions of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) and the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC) for bigeye tuna, swordfish, northern Pacific bluefin tuna and northen Atlantic bluefin tuna caught by New Zealand flagged vessels.

The Statistical Document replaces four previous documents that were unique to each of the species. The Statistical Document becomes species specific by circling a species at the top of the Statistical Document.

The USA no longer requires an NZFSA AP 1587 (health) certificate carrying the swordfish attestation. From 1 July 2005 this certificate was replaced by the Statistical Document.

You may download a PDF file of the Statistical Document (see the link at the bottom of this page), print it and complete it by hand; an Instruction Sheet is provided to assist you (see the link at the bottom of this page).

Number each document using the first four digits of your NZQA number / then the year (for 2007/08 the code is 78, for 2008/09 the code is 89 etc) / and then number your document sequentially for that year (eg 001, 002 etc).

Once completed and signed, make two copies. Send the original with the consignment, retain one copy for your files, and send the other copy to:

    HMS team
    Ministry of Fisheries
    P O Box 19747
    AUCKLAND

by the 15th of the month following the export.

For any further queries, please contact:

    HMS team
    Ministry of Fisheries Auckland office
    Telephone: +64 9 820 1990 

SOUTHERN BLUEFIN TUNA CATCH DOCUMENTATION SCHEME

The Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna (CCSBT) is the regional fisheries management organisation responsible for the sustainable use of southern bluefin tuna. CCSBT adopted a finalised Catch Documentation Scheme in October 2009.

Catch documentation generally refers to schemes that certify catch at or before the point of landing (e.g. verifying its origin, weight and species composition, as well as whether it was taken legally). This is usually in conjunction with trade documents that track the trade cycle of fish, and prohibit the entry of uncertified fish into the world market. Such schemes are generally put in place for high value products, where there is a risk of illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing.

Key objectives of the Catch Documentation Scheme (CDS) for southern bluefin tuna are:

• To gain better information on total global catches of southern bluefin tuna, including fish that is exported as well as fish that is sold domestically;
• To provide a source of cross-checks for reported catch information (i.e. independent reports from exporters and importers, or from domestic sellers and domestic buyers);
• To help prevent illegally-caught fish from entering the market (because each individual whole fish will have a unique tag attached to it; CCSBT member countries and other participating states will not accept a whole fish into the market unless it has a valid tag);
• To collect additional scientific information to help with management of the stock.

Key features of the CDS:

• The CDS covers ALL catches of southern bluefin tuna by members and cooperating non-members of CCSBT – i.e. New Zealand, Japan, Australia, Korea, Indonesia, Taiwan, South Africa, European Union and the Philippines (the main countries fishing for southern bluefin);
• The scheme applies to ALL commercially-caught southern bluefin tuna, including:
  • all exports of southern bluefin tuna; and
  • all southern bluefin tuna sold to domestic buyers
• The CDS has two main components –
  • Tagging – every legally-caught southern bluefin tuna is tagged with a special tag; controls in the market place ensure that only legally-caught fish can be sold. Fishers are responsible for ensuring they have tagged all southern bluefin tuna they catch, with tags supplied by the Ministry of Fisheries.
  • Catch documents: a form that is filled out when the fish is caught, and includes information on volumes exported, imported, and sold on domestic markets. In most instances Licensed Fish Receivers are responsible for filling out catch documents.
• There are two main forms – a Catch Monitoring Form and a Catch Tagging Form (a new form that collects information on individual fish, including lengths and weights).

The Scheme is not used for northern pacific bluefin tuna (Thunnus orientalis) or northern atlantic bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus).
Catch Documentation Scheme forms are available from Licensed Fish Receivers. The forms are completed in triplicate; the middle copy should be returned to:

    HMS team
    Ministry of Fisheries
    P O Box 19747
    AUCKLAND

by the 15th of the month following the landing.

For further details, see the instruction sheets for fishers, LFRs, and authorised validators.

NZ-WCPFC REGISTRATION APPLICATION FORM

In order to register a New Zealand flagged vessel on the New Zealand Western Central Pacific Fisheries Convention Vessel Register, you need a complete an Application to Register a Vessel on the New Zealand Western Central Pacific Fisheries Convention Vessel Register form.

You may download a PDF file of the application form, print it and complete it by hand.  A colour photograph of your vessel must accompany your application.

Once completed and signed, post it to:

    Manager, Regulatory and Standards,
    Strategy Group,
    Ministry of Fisheries,
    PO Box 1020,
    Wellington,
    New Zealand

or email it to:

     Email: wcpfc@fish.govt.nz

SPRFMO BOTTOM FISHING ADDITIONAL INFORMATION REQUIREMENTS

High Seas Fishing Permit applicants who intend to bottom fish with bottom trawl/dredge, bottom long line, drop line, dahn line, or potting gear in the South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organisation (SPRFMO) Area are required to download, print, and complete the ‘High Seas Bottom Fishing Additional Information Form’.

Return the completed form to: 

    Manager, Regulatory and Standards,
    Strategy Group,
    Ministry of Fisheries,
    PO Box 1020,
    Wellington,
    New Zealand

or email it to:
    Email: hsfp@fish.govt.nz