Fishing for Geographic Information

Date: 1 July 2008 - Ministry of Fisheries

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The fisheries sector, responsible for revenues of well over $1 billion, is New Zealand’s fourth-largest export earner. With more than 26,000 people employed directly and indirectly, the sector makes a huge contribution to national and regional economies. The Ministry of Fisheries makes a key contribution to the overall health of the sector, working closely with other government agencies, iwi/hapu, stakeholders and the public.

In addition to ensuring sustainable fisheries, the Ministry has responsibilities for protecting the aquatic environment and managing biosecurity risks. Location information underpins most of their activities.

The Ministry is also responsible for allocating rights to undertake fishing activities, for monitoring how people and organisations keep to their responsibilities and for taking actions against those who do not. The Ministry of Fisheries sources geospatial data from a variety of organisations and uses it to:

  • allocate fishing rights (which have specific boundaries)
  • track and monitor fishing activities (such as the ‘real time’ positions of larger vessels)
  • analyse fishing activity information to determine if fish are being taken lawfully
  • investigate and prosecute offences
  • determine the health of fish stocks (i.e. a genetically unique species or sub-species which inhabits a given spatial boundary) and the total allowable catch limits and management strategies of fish stocks
  • manage threats to the health and safety of staff, especially fishery officers
  • ensure international obligations are met
  • support the new web-based application – the National Aquatic Biodiversity Information System (see www.nabis.govt.nz).

While the Ministry of Fisheries interest is the sea, it has significant requirements for land-based spatial data for compliance activities and managing relationships with stakeholders.

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