A successful fisheries patrol around Stewart Island and Foveaux Strait has been completed by the Royal New Zealand Navy, working alongside Fisheries New Zealand (FNZ).

Last week, Inshore Patrol Vessel HMNZS Taupo conducted the patrol with FNZ fishery officers aboard, providing a visible presence to commercial fishing vessels operating out of ports including Half Moon Bay, Bluff and Riverton.

For the Commanding officer of HMNZS Taupo, Lieutenant Commander Toby Mara, working with FNZ is an important task that is looked forward to.

“Both organisations share a similar commitment to protecting New Zealand’s valuable marine resources so conducting this compliance operation provides that critical visibility,” he said.

Fisheries New Zealand and the Navy jointly conduct patrols throughout New Zealand’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), says Garreth Jay, FNZ’s Compliance Manager South.

“Working with our Navy partners gives us greater capacity to inspect commercial fishing vessel operations further out to sea and helps provide a greater picture of fishing operations throughout the EEZ.”

During last week’s patrol, fishery officers inspected vessels’ electronic reporting, paperwork, and fishing practices.

“Our officers found a generally good response from crew on board the vessels they inspected, and the majority of the vessels were following the rules,” Mr Jay said.

“Of the 14 inspections conducted on commercial fishing vessels and one amateur charter vessel, three instances of alleged non-compliance were detected, and we are making further enquiries into these.”

Stewart Island bound. HMNZS Taupo begins a southern fishery compliance patrol in partnership with Fisheries New Zealand. Photo: Supplied

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 The 55-metre long Taupo can accommodate 37 personnel and is more commonly utilised for RNZN Officer of the Watch training and to test the navigation skills of newly qualified sailors, Lieutenant Commander Mara said.

An operational tasking, however, provides the most valuable training of all as it’s a practical way for the ship’s company to demonstrate what they’ve learned in a challenging and dynamic working environment.

“The situation can change within minutes at sea, and our people need to pivot accordingly to achieve the required result. The value this offers them early in their career is immense,” he said.

Following the patrol, Taupo visited Dunedin before sailing up the east coast to Devonport, with a scheduled port visit in Lyttelton.