Observer programme

Description of data collection system	The Ministry of Fisheries operates an Observer Programme in which observers are placed on a sample of vessel trips during a year in order to independently observe the fishing activities and to collect additional data. General duties of the observers are: Determine and record in an observer catch effort logbook all catch effort information for each fishing operation. Obtain biological data and samples on target and other species. This includes measuring and sexing fish and collecting otoliths. Approve and record quota species discards according to regulations. Obtain conversion factor data on the main species and states produced by the vessel. Observe the vessel's compliance with fishing regulations, and document infringements of regulations when observed. Record details of incidental catch of marine mammals/birds Record information about the behaviour and occurrence of marine mammals/birds in fishing areas. Return to shore non-fish bycatch and unusual biological samples.
Purpose of data collection	To monitor the activities of fishing vessels operating in the New Zealand EEZ and to obtain reliable, accurate and independent catch, effort and biological information.
Coverage of data set	This system does not cover all commercial catch. It covers a sample of the fishing in some fisheries (approximately 4000 observer days per year), but for the trips that are covered, more detailed information is available than is available from the commercial catch forms completed by the fishers themselves. For example observers will quantify and record every species that is landed from a tow, even the species caught in small quantities that would not be recorded on a TCEPR or CELR.
Reporting Requirements	Vessels are required under the Fisheries Act 1996 to take an observer if requested.
Temporal Resolution	Observers record the date and time of observations
Spatial Resolution	Latitude and longitude
Date of first available historic data	The Observer programme was set up in 1986
Timeframe for data availability	Approximately 3 months after the end of the trip
Extent of validation/checking	A comprehensive set of error checks are used for the research version of the data and these are documented in the research database documentation
Limitations of the dataset	Note that the Scientific Observer Programme dataset is not comprehensive in the sense that only a sample of trips are covered, mainly from large vessels, and not all fisheries are covered. The trips are not necessarily allocated to vessels randomly, so data from these trips cannot necessarily be pro-rated over the unobserved trips.
Stewardship of the data	The MFish Research Data Manager is the Steward of this data. The catch effort data and data relating to trawling trips since 1997 is managed within the Ministry of Fisheries by the Observer Programme. Other catch effort data and all the length frequency and biological datasets are managed for the Ministry of Fisheries by NIWA acting under contract.
Access to the data 5 Back to top	Data from this data collection system is available: The catch effort data for trawlers and data relating to trips can be extracted for you by the Ministry of Fisheries Reporting Group for data from 1997 and onwards. Other catch effort, trip and all length frequency and biological data can be extracted by staff at NIWA – contact the MFish Research Data Manager to arrange access. Charges for data extraction will usually apply.