Minister Attends Graduation of 10 New Fishery Officers Ensuring Sustainable Fisheries

Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has today attended the graduation of 10 new Fishery Officers to acknowledge the importance of the work frontline officers do all over the country ensuring fishers are doing the right thing and protecting the sustainability of our fish stocks.

Fishery Officers usually graduate with little fanfare. It’s important they know how valuable their work is. There is a lot at stake, Mr Jones says.

The graduates got off to a flying start this morning, unexpectedly finding some real poachers as part of a training programme.

The graduates thought they were practising their skills on mock offenders at Wellington Harbour when they came upon two real paua poachers who were allegedly stopped with 48 paua, of which 46 were undersized.

More than 11,000 Kiwis are employed in the seafood sector which contributed $2.2 billion of export revenue to the economy in 2024/25. Hundreds of thousands of New Zealanders count themselves as recreational fishers - for sport, enjoyment and for food to feed their whānau.

Every New Zealander can be proud of our fisheries management system which is the foundation of these benefits and ensures our fisheries remain sustainable.

The 10 Fishery Officers who graduated today join the 100 full time and 180 Honorary Fishery Officers already stationed around the country.

The graduates come from all over the country, from Auckland to Invercargill, and bring with them a wide range of skills and life experiences.

It’s important because much of the work of Fishery Officers is about preventing offending, which takes a good understanding of regional fisheries and of people. Fishery Officers are often well-known in their communities and can be seen out on wharves and beaches making sure people understand their responsibilities, Mr Jones says.

Graduates do 12 months of rigorous training to equip them with the knowledge and skills needed on the front line, and will complete more courses on the job.

Fishery Officers have been patrolling the country for more than 60 years. Each year they do thousands of catch and boat inspections in both the recreational and commercial sectors.