Departmental Output Expense – Fisheries Compliance

Description

Fisheries Compliance will support objective based fisheries management and strive to achieve optimal levels of compliance with the fisheries laws that underpin the sustainable utilisation of New Zealand fisheries and protection of the aquatic environment.

Objectives

To achieve this, Fisheries Compliance will adopt two core strategic objectives:

• to promote high levels of voluntary compliance with fisheries laws: Promoting voluntary compliance relies on a combination of Ministry initiatives aimed at obtaining stakeholder ‘buy-in’, increasing knowledge of the rules and aligning incentives with compliance
  
• to create an effective deterrence against illegal activity: This involves detecting illegal activity and implementing an enforcement response that will create a deterrent to both the offender and others.
  

To guide staff in enforcement activity an enforcement response model has been adopted. Its purpose is to link escalating criminality with a predictable and consistent escalating enforcement response.

Fishery Enforcement Response Model

 

In order to determine the effectiveness of the services provided below, the following have been monitored:

Service	Effectiveness measure	Effectiveness achieved
Commercial fisheries compliance
Vessel Inspections (at port, at sea, landings) monitored	Increasing levels of voluntary compliance, target ≥80%	85%
Licensed Fish Receiver inspections	Increasing levels of voluntary compliance, target ≥85%	86%
Monthly Harvest returns monitored and unfurnished and late returns followed up	Increasing levels of voluntary compliance, target ≥90%	93%
Non-commercial fisheries compliance
Inspections (vessels, vehicles and persons)	Increasing levels of voluntary compliance, target ≥90%	95%
Poaching and black-market activities deterred
Dealer in fish inspections	Decreasing levels of offences detected <= 20%	12%

Services to be provided

Commercial Fisheries

For the commercial output compliance services will be delivered to monitor, inspect and investigate commercial fishers, those fishing outside the EEZ and other participants in the commercial fishing industry to support the integrity of the Quota Management System and the international fisheries rules and agreements.

Non-commercial Fisheries

For the non-commercial output compliance services will be delivered to educate, monitor and inspect recreational and customary fishers.

Poaching and black-market

For the poaching and black-market output compliance services will be delivered to detect and prosecute key offenders and disrupt the supply of poached or black-market seafood through effective monitoring, inspection and investigations.

Prosecutions

For the prosecution output Fisheries Compliance will be focused on successfully prosecuting serious fisheries offending and achieving deterrent penalties.

Services to be provided to improve levels of Voluntary Compliance

Commercial fisheries compliance

	Expected Results		Actual Results
	Quantity	Quality/timeliness	Quantity	Quality/timeliness
Vessel Inspections (at port, at sea, landings) monitored	1,500	90% vessel inspections entered into system by 5th day of following month. Act or regulation breaches followed up in inspection.	1,371 vessel inspection target not met due to dedicated support to Operation Paid	93% This deliverable was removed with approval from the Minister of Fisheries
Licensed Fish Receiver inspections	200	90% of LFR inspections entered into system by 5th day of following month. Act or regulation breaches followed up in inspection.	382	95% This deliverable was removed with approval from the Minister of Fisheries
Monthly Harvest Return monitored and unfurnished and late returns followed up	1,250	Unfurnished returns followed up within 2 months of due date. Late returns followed up within 14 days of receipt	1,173	100%

Non-commercial fisheries compliance

	Expected Results		Actual Results
	Quantity	Quality/timeliness	Quantity	Quality/timeliness
Inspections (vessels, vehicles and persons)	15,000	85% of inspections entered into system by 12th day of following month	25,500	85%
Kaitiaki trained and /or educated	100		214
Education programme delivered		90% of planned activities delivered	2,924 educational activities
Manage Honorary Fishery Officer volunteers	160	Trained and hold HFO warrants	162

Services to be provided to create an effective deterrent

Commercial fisheries compliance

	Expected Results		Actual Results
	Quantity	Quality/timeliness	Quantity	Quality/timeliness
Commercial investigations commenced	10		9
International investigations commenced	2		11
Investigations undertaken categorised as high and medium risk against the ‘Risk Based Compliance Strategy’		75%		100%
Prosecution decision making is consistent with Crown Law Office Prosecution Guidelines and Compliance policy statements		100%		100%
Successful prosecutions achieved under the Fisheries Act 1996		90%		100%
Successful prosecutions achieved under Fisheries regulations		75%		94%

Poaching and black market activities deterred

	Expected Results		Actual Results
	Quantity	Quality/timeliness	Quantity	Quality/timeliness
Poaching and black-market patrols undertaken	400-500		542
Dealer in fish (DIF) inspections	1,000		1,175	94%
0800 4 Poacher calls logged	1,400	90% DIF inspections entered into system by 5th day of following month.	2,156
Poaching and black-market investigations commenced	12		3
Investigation undertaken categorised as high and medium risk against the ‘Risk Based Compliance Strategy’		75%		100%
Prosecution decision making is consistent with Crown Law Office Prosecution Guidelines and Compliance policy statements		100%		100%
Successful prosecutions achieved under the Fisheries Act 1996		90%		96%
Successful prosecutions achieved under Fisheries regulations		75%		88%