WWF-New Zealand submission on the proposed amendments to extend reporting on non-fish or protected fish species (“NFPS”) interactions, currently set out in Schedule 1 Part 3 of the Codes Circular (“NFPS reports”).
We believe that the proposed changes would support the provision of important information about the conditions and circumstances of an event that would be useful for both scientific and compliance purposes as required under the Wildlife Act 1953 (“Wildlife Act”) and the Marine Mammals Protection Act 1978 (“MMPA”).
The proposed amendments are:
- Amend the definition of “catch” to cover instances involving accidental or incidental injury or death where the marine wildlife has been able to move freely or free itself if caught.
- Introduce new codes to the Codes Circular to collect more accurate information on NFPS interactions.
- Make the notes field for NFPS reports mandatory where a NFPS interaction is reported to provide more detailed information on the conditions and circumstances of the event in line with the Wildlife Act and MMPA, and provide guidance on how to fill this out.