Amendment regulations in force from 31 January 2019 have deferred the requirements for electronic monitoring of vessels used to fish under certain types of permit.

This means that the staggered implementation of the requirements for three categories of vessels - which was meant to have commenced on 1 October 2018 and be in force for all three from 1 July 2019 - will now not begin until 1 August 2019.

The Fisheries (Electronic Monitoring on Vessels) Amendment Regulations 2019 amend the Fisheries (Electronic Monitoring on Vessels) Regulations 2017.

The 2017 regulations came into force on 1 October 2018 and required vessels used to fish under permits issued under section 91 or 113H of the Fisheries Act 1996 were required to film the fishing and the fish taken, the transportation of fish on the vessel, and to record associated information.

However, the chief executive of the Ministry for Primary Industries exempted vessels in the first category from compliance with the regulations on 24 October 2018.