Information Resources

Research

The Ministry owns a set of around 30 fisheries research databases, derived primarily from the information collected as a result of fisheries research projects and used for stock assessment, environmental performance management, and policy evaluation.

Examples are:

• a database of fish caught during trawl surveys by research vessels
  
• a database of fish abundance detected by sonar during studies by research vessels
  
• several databases of subsets of catch effort and observer trawl catch effort data that have been further groomed to improve
• their accuracy for stock assessment purposes

Specimen collections

Fisheries research specimen collections. An example is a collection of otoliths (fish ear bones) used for determining the age of fish.

Catch effort

This database is derived from information supplied by commercial fishers relating to what species they caught, when and where it was caught, and the catching method used. The database has a time series that extends back to 1990. The information is used to assist in decisions related to stock assessment, and for environmental performance management, policy evaluation, the detection of offences and monitoring overall integrity of the fisheries management regime. The Ministry has contracted Commercial Fisheries Services Ltd. (FishServe) to maintain the database under standards and specifications set by the Ministry.

Observer trawl catch effort

This Ministry maintained database uses information supplied by Ministry observers stationed aboard commercial trawlers. The data supplements the catch information supplied by commercial fishers, and is used for the same purposes as noted above.

Geo-spatial Data Management System/National Aquatic Biodiversity Information System (GDM/NABIS)

The Ministry operates a Geo-spatial Data Management system. This is a tool that stores and displays maps detailing the locations of events relating to the management of fisheries. Examples include the boundaries of Fishery Management Areas, the locations of Licensed Fish Receivers (LFRs) and the locations of albatross breeding colonies. From August 2004 an internet version of this tool (NABIS) has been available to the public.

Quota management systems

Fisheries Management System comprising client information, including LFR, quota and ACE holdings and transfers, caveats and mortgages, statutory reporting (excluding Catch Effort), balancing catch against Annual Catch Entitlement (ACE), vessel registration and permitting. FishServe owns these systems with data transferred daily to the Ministry.

Compliance

Compliance information systems include the:

• Vessel Monitoring System – logs the GPS location of all vessels carrying an Automatic Location Communicator (ALC), which is then stored for reference and analysis.
• Fisheries Intelligence Network – stores secure intelligence information about entities and associations between entities of interest to Ministry of Fisheries’ compliance activities.
• Compliance Activity Monitoring System – stores the details of monitoring activities undertaken by the compliance business, reports on non-compliance detected, compliance rates and trends.
• DECIDENDII – records court judgements for use in sentencing submissions.
• HFO Officer Management System – records Honorary Fishery Officer personnel management information, manages inventory and training scheduling and follow ups, records critical incidents and health and safety information, monthly report monitoring and compliance rates for HFO compliance activity.
• Operational Communications Monitoring System (OCMS) – the primary tool for the national Compliance Communications Centre (ComCen) which monitors fishery officer safety through full radio discipline procedures.
• National Automated Returns Compliance (NARC) – Reporting system that provides for automated discrepancy monitoring of statutory returns to detect potential offending.
• Compliance Monitoring of Automated Positional Sources (CMAPS) – Reporting system that provides for automated discrepancy monitoring of positional sources to detect potential offending.
• Offences System:
  • Infringements Module – manages the infringements process, stores the details of infringement notices, reports on infringement and collection information.
• Offences Modules:
  • Phase 1 records offence events detected by compliance activity and actions taken; manages file progress and location tracking; records and manages prosecution action and outcomes in relation to all offences detected in the course of compliance business activity.
  • Phase 2 records information from the commencement of a prosecution through to outcomes. Assists with automation of some prosecution processes.

Reference data

Shared in common between many systems, including information about species, fish stocks, areas, locations, clients, vessels, conversion factors and many other small data sets.

Documents

These consist of fisheries management policy and decision-making documents comprising word-processing documents, spreadsheets, presentations and email. Operational documents include applications and submitted forms.

Accounting

Financial information systems comprising general ledger, accounts payable and accounts receivable, bank reconciliations, property, plant and equipment, report writing modules and time management systems.

Human Resources

Human Resources information database, payroll systems and report writer modules.