Annual Report for the year ended 30 June 2002

Presented to the House of Representatives pursuant to Section 39 of the Public Finance Act, 1989

Contents

• Letter to Minister
• Our Vision
• Chief Executive’s Overview
• Strategic Context 2001/04
• Key Achievements
• Fisheries Research
• Ministry Performance For The Year Ended 30 June 2002
• Statement of Resources
• Terms and Definitions Used
• Legislation Administered by the Ministry of Fisheries at 30 June 2002
• Ministry Directory

Management of Impacts of Fishing

One of the aims of fisheries management is to avoid, mitigate and remedy the impacts of fishing on protected and other species. This output is about providing capacity within the Ministry of Fisheries to undertake projects and review regulations with the objective of achieving this aim. Advice was provided to the Minister on options to mitigate the effects of fishing on South Island populations of Hector’s dolphins. After undertaking public consultation on these options, a final advice paper was provided to the Minister in late November 2001, outside the target date of 1 October.

A revised draft of the Seabird National Plan of Action relating to increased observer coverage on seabird bycatch was completed on 12 September 2001 and circulated to stakeholders for comment. The Minister was provided with two briefing papers on seabird bycatch by fishing vessel SonRisa. It is expected that a final decision on the extent of increased coverage will be made in the first quarter of the new financial year. Although this is outside the target date, extended consultation was undertaken with stakeholders because of the possible significant economic impacts on commercial fishers the increased coverage could bring.

A final operational plan for managing Hooker sealion trawl interaction in the SQU6T fishery was approved by the Minister and modified following further consideration of issues raised by sector groups. The plan was implemented during the third quarter of the financial year outside the target date of 1 December 2001.

Assessment of Management Proposals

This output relates to the assessment of proposals for specific fisheries purposes under the Fisheries legislation.

No new fisheries proposals arose during the year.

Supporting International Arrangements

New Zealand is party to various international agreements relating to fishing and fishing interests. This output is about the activities required to maintain those agreements.

During the year, the Ministry was involved in:

• negotiating revised catch limits and management measures for the South Tasman Rise orange roughy fishery, an arrangement implemented via Ministerial exchange of letters and Gazette notice;
• contributing to development of NZ position on science, compliance, and organisational structure issues considered by the 2nd preparatory meeting for the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Convention; and
• monitoring operations of NZ vessels fishing in Ross Sea under CCAMLR Conservation Measures.

A requirement of the Ministry is that it monitors the legislation associated with the implementation of the United Nations Implementing Agreement (UNIA) for the conservation and management of straddling stocks and highly migratory fish species. During the year, the conditions to be imposed on high seas fishing permits for the fishing year commencing 1 May 2002 were completed. A total of 52 high seas fishing permits and 12 approvals under high seas permit conditions were processed.

In addition, the Ministry was also involved in the preparation of advice papers for the NZ delegation attending the Forum Fisheries Committee meeting in April/May and then subsequent attendance at the meeting.

Input was also provided into the Department of Conservation response to an Australian consultation paper on a possible proposal to list toothfish with the Commission on International Trade on Endangered Species (CITES).

Legislative and Regulatory Processes

This output relates to the provision of input into the statutory processes managed by other government or regional agencies which could impact on fisheries matters within the Ministry’s range of responsibilities.

The Ministry reviewed a draft Paua 7 fisheries plan and provided technical assistance to the planning committee analysing submissions on fisheries proposals for the Kaipara Harbour. In addition, as part of its obligations under the Resource Management Act 1991, the Ministry:

• lodged a submission on a resource consent application within required time frames;
• prepared final advice on concurrence request concerning the establishment of proposed marine reserves at Northwest Nelson (Glenduan), and North Taranaki (Paraninihi) and submitted for Ministerial consideration;
• completed consultation process associated with a request for concurrence for the establishment of a marine reserve at Waiheke Island (Te Matuku);
• prepared steps and timeline for processing a concurrence request concerning the establishment of a proposed marine reserve on the Wellington South Coast (Taputeranga), and submitted for Ministerial consideration;
• completed four commodity levy applications during the year; and
• made progress on developing a framework for documenting fishstock strategies. Work has begun on drafting the fishstock strategies.

Customary Maori Fisheries

This output covers particular aspects of Maori fisheries and includes analysis of customary harvesting data and mechanisms to manage the access rights for customary fishing and exercise guardianship over local fisheries.

During the year the Ministry:

• completed 2 applications under s186A of the Fisheries Act 1996;
• processed 17 Kaitiaki appointments;
• processed 8 requests for cancellation of Kaitiaki appointments;
• prepared a final decision paper for the Minister on the establishment of a taiapure-local fishery in Delaware Bay. This was subsequently approved and gazetted; and
• submitted an advice paper to the Minister regarding a Rapaki Bay Mataitai by-law.

Setting Standards and Specifications

This output is about developing fisheries management service standards and specifications for those fisheries management services that will be contracted. It also includes monitoring and auditing the external service providers' performance against these standards and specifications. During the year the Ministry negotiated and signed the four data management contracts with NIWA. These were signed on 13 September 2001.

The Ministry had a target to publish database documentation for all formal research databases on the Ministry’s external web site. During the year the research documentation for the 29 active research databases managed by NIWA was published on the website.

In managing the catch effort database, the Ministry implemented stage 3 of the strategic plan for management of catch and effort information. This included:

• the introduction of new paua and eel forms into the reporting regulations;
• writing a debriefing document on lessons learnt during the design of the new forms;
• improving the explanatory notes for Catch Effort Landing Return (CELR) forms;
• changing the Fisheries (Reporting) Regulations to require reporting of non-ITQ discards;
• changing the Fisheries (Reporting) Regulations to clarify the definition of a landing for eel fishing;
• producing a CD of reference material useful for interpreting Catch Effort information; and
• improving access to pre 1989 trawling, lining and rock lobster potting data.

As part of the process for managing the scientific observer data, the Ministry was required to negotiate and sign a new contract for the processing of biological data and samples from the Scientific Observer programme. This was completed in October 2001.

Additionally, there was a requirement to audit the provision of data processing services for scientific observer data supplied by the external agency that is managing this data. The audit was carried out in the final quarter of the 2001/02 financial year and was largely satisfactory. Minor improvements were suggested for 8 areas and these were implemented before 30 June 2002.

Cost Recovery

The cost recovery levy order for 2001/02 was approved by the Governor-General on 17 September 2001 and the Gazette Notice was issued on 20 September 2001. This was outside the target date of 30 August 2001. A revised levy order was issued on 30 November 2001 correcting a calculation error in the original order.

An amended levy order for 1 April 2002, incorporating the changes in TACs and TACCs approved by the Minister in September 2001 and changes in prices following award of fisheries research contracts, was approved by Cabinet on 25 February 2002 and Gazetted on 28 February. Indicative cost recovery levies for the 2002/03 year were distributed to stakeholders along with the draft business plan for 2002/03.

The cost recovery plenary for the 2002/03 proposed levies was held on 31 May 2002.

*Includes $63,000 for Education and information services previously shown separetly

Output Class D4 Fisheries Access and Administration

Description: Services associated with fisheries access including the:

• Issue of fishing permits and licences.
• Management of registry and recording systems. Objectives: The objectives of this output class are to:
• Issue permits, licences and leases for access to New Zealand’s fisheries.
• Maintain the quota register.
• Manage the statutory reporting functions associated with approved access to fisheries.
• Implement the devolution of registry based and related services.
• Manage the Ministry’s 0800 information service.

Scope: The outputs in this output class are

• Management of access for fishing activities: Delivery and contracting of services that provide access to fisheries.
• Management of commercial property rights: The services under this output contribute to the management of commercial property rights.
• Devolution of services: Implementing the devolution of non-core government services.
• Delivery of registry services: The management of external contracts with registry delivery agencies to ensure statutory compliance and minimisation of risks to the Crown.

Achievements during the year

Management of Access for Fishing Activities

This output concerns the management of the processes relating to granting of access to fisheries rights. Special permits authorisations During the year:

• 27 special permit applications/variations were processed in accordance with the procedures set out in the Special Permit Manual.
• A national special permit database was established. Commercial authorisations During the year:
• A total of 2,008 permits were issued, with 75 (3.73%) issued outside time. The majority of the permits issued outside standard were issued in November as a result of staff being diverted to new monthly balancing processes, and in March as a result of a printing problem. These have been addressed and corrected.
• However, there was an error in a condition on 268 quota permits issued in September 2001 because of the introduction of the Fisheries Act 1996. This was identified in February 2002 and resulted in a reissue of those permits with the correct conditions in the same month. Tighter internal controls were implemented to prevent a reoccurrence of this error.
• 64 High Seas permits were issued in the year, with 4 (6.25%) outside standards.
• 141 ALC permits were issued, with none outside standards.

In addition:

• 10 LFR licences were issued during September quarter with none outside standards.
• 515 vessel registrations were issued during September quarter with 5 (0.97%) outside standard.

Both of these functions were devolved from 1 October 2001.