Important news for amateur charter boat operators
All amateur-fishing charter vessel operators must register their operations with the Ministry for Primary Industries before they run any trips from 1 November 2010.
Registration is open now and is being run on behalf of the Ministry for Primary Industries by FINNZ.
How to register
There are two types of application forms to register as an amateur-fishing charter vessel operator.
Only one of the two forms needs to be completed.
Application forms are available here.
Form 1 - Online listing: An Online Listing form requires you to complete and submit details for an Operator and Approved User only, enabling you to create any Contact Persons, Skipper/Guides and Vessels online. The application fee must be included with the application form. Fee $27.00
Form 2 - Manual listing: A Manual Listing form requires you to complete and submit details for an Operator and all Contact People, Skipper/Guides and Vessels associated with your Operator listing. The application fee must be included with the application form. Fee $54.00
Reporting
Once registered, charter vessel operators will be sent a ‘Vessel Listing Notification’ (VLN) for each vessel they operate. The VLN must be carried on the vessel. A book of reporting forms, the Amateur Charter Vessel Activity and Catch Returns (ACV-ACR), and instructions on how they are to be completed, will also be sent out for each vessel.
Download Sample ACV-ACR (PDF 524KB)
Download How to Complete your ACV-ACR (PDF 336KB)
Reporting requirements start on 1 November 2010. For all charter vessel trips run from that date operators will need to complete an ACV-ACR with information on the fishing activity and, in some instances, the catch.
Download Charter Vessel Catch Reporting Requirements (PDF 66KB)
If you have any questions regarding registration please contact the help line on 0800 4 ACV HELP (0800 422 843) or email amateurcharter@FINNZ.com
Frequently asked questions
Download Frequently Asked Questions (PDF 27KB)
Background information
Amateur fishing is highly valued in New Zealand.
However, as the number of people using the marine environment and the number of ways they are using it increases, management decisions must be made that affect amateur fishers. To ensure that the interests of these fishers is into account it is important to understand where, when and how they fish, as well as what they catch. Consequently, improving information on amateur fishing has become a government priority.
There is no single method of collecting this information, so the government is working to build a picture of the size, activity and catch of the amateur sector as a whole in several different ways. Amateur charter vessel reporting informs one part of this picture.
In 2009 the government decided to list charter vessel operators and to put in place an activity and catch reporting system. The advice paper that went to the Minister of Fisheries and the detailed decisions can be downloaded in full below.
Download a copy of the Final Advice Paper (PDF 190KB)
Download a copy of the Ministers decision (PDF 62KB)