Fishserve was established in 1999 when several functions previously provided by the (then) Ministry of Fisheries were outsourced. Fishserve operated under a Service Delivery Agreement (SDA). In 2001, the Fisheries Act 1996 came into force which provided for an Approved Service Delivery Organisation (ASDO) to be appointed. Under the Act, an organisation appointed as an ASDO is directly accountable to the Minister for all functions and duties transferred to it. Due to this, all the statutory functions provided by Fishserve are delivered either as the ASDO or under contract with the Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI).

The same year Fishserve started delivering ASDO services it launched a computerised Fisheries Management System (FMS) to facilitate the administration of the quota system. The FMS was designed inhouse, replacing technology that had been in use since 1986. Designing and building software to support our service delivery is a key part of what we do. This has also enabled us to look beyond administrative support and move into the development of smart information services that can provide value back into Aotearoa New Zealand’s fisheries.

Over the years, Fishserve worked hard to minimise the cost of statutory services through efficiency gains and process improvements. The constant improvements in service delivery and investment in technology meant that by 2008, Fishserve had reduced its annual cost to industry from $8.65M to $4M. Since then, we have continued to add value without a significant increase to costs on the industry.

For a more detailed history click here

Fishserve’s current strategy is focused on the specialist role Fishserve plays, acting as a channel to provide useful information and data to support sustainable fisheries. This channel depends on us working together towards a sustainable future.

Fishserve shares critical relationships with a number of stakeholders across Aotearoa New Zealand fisheries, including:

• The Minister for Oceans and Fisheries (as the Approved Service Delivery Organisation under part 15A of the Fisheries Act).
• Fisheries New Zealand (and other government agencies whose work intersects with fisheries management).
• Sector Representative Entities (SREs).
• Commercial fishing businesses.
• Other industry organisations.

Fishserve sits between the government and commercial fishers in relation to administering the QMS. Maintaining our independence and impartiality is really important to our success as the ASDO, and that means understanding needs and pressures across all parties. This also holds true in terms of looking at opportunities to create value within Aotearoa New Zealand’s fisheries, both for those managing it and those businesses contributing to a sustainable commercial fishery that supports Aotearoa’s bottom line.

Fishserve’s Annual Report outlines our priorities and achievements for the year. Updates from both the Chairperson and Chief Executive are included.

These reports also include financial and performance information intended to show how we are doing.

• Annual Report for 2022

At Fishserve, we recognise that the greatest asset of a business is its people.

We are an agile product development company where everyone can contribute to what we do and how we do it.

Fishserve supports flexible working and looks for all-rounders that contribute to the strategy and are happy to work across different areas.

We have a broad range of technical expertise across the business and focus on developing our people as technology and opportunities evolve.

We advertise open vacancies on Seek and encourage applicants to apply there.

When the Fisheries Act 1996 came into force in October 2001, it allowed for an organisation to be designated the Approved Service Delivery Organisation (ASDO). This would allow the Ministry to devolve administrative services.

Our appointment as the Approved Service Delivery Organisation is subject to a rigorous process. Fishserve maintains its status as the Approved Service Delivery Organisation (ASDO) by adhering to the following requirements:

• Demonstrated support of the majority of quota owners

  This is important because the appointment of the ASDO requires the majority support of quota owners. Fishserve has maintained this support since 2001, with SREs and CSOs providing letters of support for our renewal applications.

• Financial viability including the willingness to re-invest

  At the time of its first outsourcing, Fishserve cost the industry $8.65 million. By 2016, Fishserve cost the industry $4 million thanks to years of constant improvements in service delivery and investment in technology.

• Independence

  To ensure Fishserve is removed from inappropriate influence, and can maximise its service efficiency, our corporate constitution determines that we must have an independent chair. None of our directors may be industry sector representatives, and only one director may be a director of our parent company, Seafood New Zealand.

• Policy Neutrality

  Our governance has unburdened Fishserve from the potential influence of individual commercial participants and from industry politics at large.

A specific performance framework underpins the delivery of all our services. The Crown has set standards and specifications within this framework, which determine information, process, and performance minimums. Fishserve is required to operate in accordance with those specifications at all times.

Fishserve is required to report any discrepancies with the standards and specifications on a monthly basis to MPI. The Crown has in place a regulatory penalty regime which it can impose for any breach of those standards and specifications. Since our establishment, Fishserve has never been penalised for a breach of those standards and specifications: “It is our practise and the expectation of industry that we provide services well in excess of these minimum standards.”

Contracted Services

These are services that Fishserve is contracted by the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) to deliver. The Crown maintains responsibility for these services but does not need to deliver them. (i.e. Crown responsibility).

• Electronic Reporting (Validation, Secondary Validation, and Error Reporting)
• Quota Allocations
• Fishing Permits (includes High Seas Permits)
• Crown Revenue Management

  Includes Cost Recovery Levies, Deemed Value Invoicing, and Debt Management.

Devolved Services

These are services that Fishserve are responsible for delivering on behalf of the industry. Fishserve, as the ASDO, is accountable to the Minister for these services (i.e. ASDO responsibility).

• Public Registers Management (Quota, ACE, Vessels, Permits, HSFP, and Aquaculture)
• Quota/ACE Transfers
• Annual ACE Allocations
• Vessel Registrations
• LFR Registrations
• Client Registration & Management

As an industry owned company, Fishserve provides shared service support to small entities within the Seafood New Zealand umbrella to ensure that resource efficiencies can be achieved across their financial and administration requirements.

• Financial Management (Levy Collections, Invoicing, Debt Recovery, Financial Reporting and Management)
• Corporate Services (Call Centre Services, Facilities Management, IT Support, and Event Support)

• ACE Shelving
• Customised Fisheries Data Collection (Stock Research)
• Sub-stock Management (Info Hub and Sub-stock Splits)

We build services to support the implementation of individual fisheries management rules and to provide information to industry that supports more sustainable management of fisheries. For instance, we developed the SRE tab to allow SREs to manage the fishstocks they represent at a sub area level, all within the Fisheries Management System (FMS).

This is an area of growth for Fishserve, one where we are working collaboratively with others to provide useful information back into fisheries to support social, economic, and environmental sustainability.

Underpinning the provision of these services is our customer support team. This group of specialist support personnel deliver:

• Direct one-on-one support for reporting requirements.
• Proactive reminders and follow-up to meet statutory requirements.
• Information requests.

Fishserve services are provided through a web-based application software that has inbuilt validation and permissions to ensure it complies with the fishing regulations.

We have developed the software based on microservice architectures to enable rapid updates if required as regulations change without impacting the whole system. Our solutions include responsive SPA web front ends using both HTML/JavaScript via Angular and the latest Microsoft Blazor .NET technology.

Fishserve also provides data entry services through its CEDRIC software and provides a publicly available reporting service through the website.