Utilisation and sustainability of New Zealand’s fisheries resources measured

Explanation

As an input into current and future fisheries management decisions, fisheries research needs are identified, projects undertaken and results reported to provide increased information on:

• estimates of biomass and sustainable yields for fish stocks

• effects of fishing on the aquatic environment, including biodiversity and bycatch species

• relevant social, cultural and economic factors that may be included in the management decision process

• non-commercial harvest levels.

The Ministry contributes to the maintenance of sustainable fisheries in New Zealand through research designed to increase information on stock status levels, and add to the body of knowledge used to advise the Minister of Fisheries on appropriate utilisation for future years. Research is undertaken on individual fisheries at a frequency necessary to ensure the stock is not decreased through overfishing, thereby maintaining its value, and to enable the Ministry to maintain the currency of the information. This output also includes the costs associated with the capacity required to maintain the fisheries research programme.

Medium term research plans are reviewed and updated annually in consultation with stakeholders and form the framework for ongoing or new research requirements. New results from research programmes are presented annually to a number of Ministry-led working groups that convene to assess a range of fishstocks.

Relevant results are used in providing advice to the Minister regarding sustainable yields from fish stocks, and the technical details for each fishery are summarised in working group reports that are published annually in the Fishery Assessment Plenary.

The effects of fishing on the environment are largely addressed through the aquatic environment working group, but there is overlap with the biodiversity research programme and research programmes of other government agencies. The aquatic environment medium term research plan is also updated and consulted on with all stakeholders on an annual basis. The environmental research findings are reviewed and assessed by this working group. The Ministry intends to develop a plenary document that will provide a forum for summarising the relevant issues and progress made in the New Zealand context through research contracts.

This output also includes the costs associated with the capacity required to maintain the fisheries research programme.

For 2006/07, the Ministry has classified research projects into two categories with the intention of more fully utilising the research appropriation.

Tier 1 projects are those that can be funded within the proposed budget levels. Tier 2 represents those that are unable to be funded, but which the research planning groups considered of a sufficiently high priority to be included in the consultation process, and undertaken in the event of tier 1 project costs falling below appropriations.

Expected results

Quantity, quality and timeliness

1. By 31 August 2006, produce medium-term research plans in accordance with the defined quality standards.

2. By 31 December 2006, produce research proposals for 2007/08 in accordance with the defined quality standards.

3. By 30 November 2006, produce a report from the mid-year fishery assessment plenary in accordance with the defined quality standards.

4. By 30 December 2006, produce a draft framework for an environment assessment plenary document in accordance with the defined quality standards.

5. By 31 May 2007, produce a report from the fishery assessment plenary in accordance with the quality standards.

6. Actively manage the research budget to ensure that the funding made available from tier 1 projects not proceeding is applied to tier 2 projects that can be funded.

Notes: The quality standards adopted for measures 2 and 3 above are those defined in the document 'Format and Content of Project Summaries and Medium Term Plans proposed by the Research Planning Group' dated 9 July 2001)

The quality standards adopted for measures 4 and 5 above are those defined in the Fisheries Research Services 2003/2004 Tender Document: Part II: A – Appendix II B, Form 2 and Appendix III B)

Cost