Obtaining and Managing Information

Observer services 

The Ministry’s observer programme continues to collect information that is critical to support its enforcement and fisheries management capabilities. The information contributes to assessments of stock size and the impact of fishing on the environment, and the adjustment of management controls. Considerable effort was directed at improving the planning for and delivery of observer services. The high demand for observer information continued to outstrip the programme’s capacity to deliver. Nonetheless the observer service delivered a record total of 5,667 sea days to the three main client groups - the Ministry, the Department of Conservation and the fishing industry - at a cost of $2.6 million.

Research

During the year, the Ministry managed over 200 contracted research projects, including stock assessments of major fisheries, and research into the impacts of fishing, marine biodiversity and marine biosecurity.

Biodiversity From January to March 2004, a research and seabed-mapping project was undertaken of the Ross Sea ecosystem. The Ministry and Land Information New Zealand funded the 50-day voyage in cooperation with the Italian Antarctic Research Programme. The Ministry funded the marine research component through the New Zealand Biodiversity Strategy research programme, BioRoss.

The Ministry sponsored the development of the National Aquatic Biodiversity Information System (NABIS). It was available free on the Internet by 30 June 2004 prior to an official launch in July. NABIS is a website application which uses GIS (geographic information system) tools to provide spatial definition and visual representation of our marine biodiversity and fisheries management data. NABIS is being developed incrementally with more information and applications being added over time. It is the first step towards meeting the wider geospatial data management aims of the Ministry, the Ministry for the Environment and the Department of Conservation and fulfilling the objectives of the New Zealand Biodiversity Strategy.

Throughout the year, the Ministry worked closely with the Department of Conservation in technical working groups to improve the quality of the information available to manage fishing impacts on protected species.

Stock assessments Stock assessments completed this year included the following fisheries:

• orange roughy on the mid-east coast North Island and north west Chatham Rise
• hoki
• black oreo at the western end of the Chatham Rise
• snapper on the west coast of the North Island
• paua on the Chatham Islands and Fiordland, and
• ling in the sub-Antarctic and on the west coast of the South Island.

Estimates of stock status and sustainable yield are available for approximately half of the stocks in the quota management system. This includes all the main fisheries that make up about two-thirds of New Zealand fisheries by weight and value. Of these major fisheries, 80% are at, above, or near sustainable target levels and rebuilding strategies are in place for the rest.

As part of the scientific assessment process, the Ministry engages overseas experts to review and comment on major research programmes. In 2003/04 reviews were undertaken of the assessment model used for paua stocks and of the methods and approaches used to assess orange roughy.

Biosecurity surveys In the biosecurity area, the operational and taxonomic capability to carry out an extensive survey programme in the marine environment has been developed over the last several years. Port baseline surveys of 13 ports and three marinas were completed between April 2002 and April 2003. Work identifying the specimens collected from the baseline surveys was undertaken. A total of 61 species new to science have been identified to date. Fourteen species have been detected for the first time as being present in New Zealand. A re-survey of the ports and marinas is planned for the 2004/05 year.

Surveillance of eight ports has been carried out every six months for exotic marine pests. With the exception of undaria, none of the species on the Unwanted Organisms list has been detected in New Zealand. Undaria has been detected only in locations where it has been previously known. Identification guides for all unwanted organisms have been produced and distributed to stakeholders.