Shane Jones said the government would also cut "unnecessary red tape" surrounding the setting of catch limits. Photo: RNZ / Angus Dreaver
The government is reducing the rules and cost for commercial fishers regarding cameras on boat but is continuing the planned rollout, albeit with a three-month delay.
It is a compromise position for Fisheries Minister Shane Jones - a long-time critic of the policy - who on Wednesday acknowledged he had been overruled by his Cabinet colleagues.
"You win some, you lose some," he told RNZ. "You all know that I never liked the idea, but at the end of the day, I'm a servant of the Cabinet."
Jones said he had also been "partially shot down" by the fishing sector which saw some purpose to the cameras.
Curiously, the government's announcement has been welcomed by both Greenpeace and the seafood industry, typically staunch opponents on the topic.
Labour greenlit the regime last term with the aim of getting cameras installed on up to 300 vessels, but Jones put it under review after last year's election.
In a statement issued earlier in the day, Jones said officials had found ways to significantly cut the cameras' running costs thereby reducing the burden on fishers.
"I plan to limit the cost recovery levies on industry for onboard cameras to a level comparable with the cost of observers on vessels," Jones said.
The government has contributed about $68 million towards the rollout with an estimated $10m to be covered by industry through the annual levy system charged to quota owners. Ministry documents indicate the ongoing operational costs would also be recovered through those levies from 2025/26.
Jones said he would also reverse another rule introduced by Labour, requiring fishers to bring their entire catch back to port.
Instead, fishers would be allowed to throw unwanted bycatch overboard, as long as what was discarded was still counted against their entitlement, and they had cameras or observers on board to verify the catch.
"It will make the most of the onboard cameras and simplify the rules for fishers, reflecting challenges at sea. It recognises that as long as fishers are operating inside their catch entitlement, the government shouldn't be making decisions for fishers about what they should do with their catch," Jones said.
Jones said the government would also cut "unnecessary red tape" surrounding the setting of catch limits.
"I will look to speed up decision-making to make the most of our fisheries resources to generate income that supports jobs in our communities."
Officials would now develop specific proposals with the goal of seeking public feedback early next year.
They would also consider the "important matter of privacy for fishers", Jones said.
The timeframe extension means all remaining bottom longline vessels will be required to use cameras by March, as well as remaining trawl vessels smaller than 32 metres , except those targeting scampi.
Set net vessels 8m or greater in length, purse seine vessels, and Danish Seine vessels would have until May.
The deepwater fleet and scampi vessels remain excluded from the requirements.
Data released in April showed a dramatic increase in the reporting of dolphin captures and seabirds by the commercial industry since the introduction of on-board cameras.
Greenpeace claims victory, industry registers support
Greenpeace Aotearoa executive director Russel Norman said the rollout had long been held up by opposition from the seafood industry and New Zealand First, so in that context, the announcement was an "important victory" for environmentalists.
"I've been working to get cameras on boats for a decade. The ministerial inquiry was eight years ago, so I'm not too worried about a three-month delay.
"When New Zealand First was last involved in government, they tried to delay cameras on boats very significantly and they did have some success.
"I can live with a three-month delay as long the programme keeps going forward."
Greenpeace wanted the cameras to continue being rolled out to also cover deep sea bottom trawling boats, Norman said.
Norman noted Greenpeace's strong opposition to the relaxation of discard rules.
"For anyone who cares about the oceans, the discard rules are important because they discourage commercial trawl vessels from killing indiscriminately lots of other sea creatures other than the fish they want to catch themselves."
In a statement, industry group Seafood New Zealand said it supported the continued roll-out of cameras over this year and next, but hoped for a pause on any further expansion.
"The current camera programme, which fishers helped to pay for through a significant increase in levies, is already providing new data that will further strengthen the sustainable management of our fisheries," Seafood NZ chief executive Lisa Futschek said.
"As the technology gets cheaper then perhaps rolling out more cameras could be an option down the track, when we are able to introduce smart tech and enable AI in a way that helps our fishers to be even more sustainable and efficient."
Futschek said many fishers were "doing it tough right now" and would like to see costs come down across the board.
Regarding the proposed change to discard rules, she said fishers should be allowed to return "unusable fish" at sea, as long as they were reporting and paying appropriately.
"If the system is managed correctly with cameras and observers, it will continue to be sustainable because all fish taken will be counted, whether they are brought back to shore or not, and fishers will continue to have strict catch limits applied."