The process

To fish in the CCAMLR high seas area New Zealand fishing vessels must have:

1. a high seas fishing permit
2. an AMLR fishing permit approved by the Minister of Fisheries

To get an AMLR permit you'll need to:

• submit an expression of interest (EOI) to fish in the CCAMLR Area to MPI
• submit an AMLR fishing permit application and vessel information
• pay a notification fee to the CCAMLR Secretariat
• be approved by CCAMLR at their annual meeting
• be approved by the Minister of Fisheries for a fishing permit.

Prepare your EOI

Every year between January and February, MPI places an advertisement for EOIs in:  

• The New Zealand Herald
• The Dominion Post
• The Press 
• Otago Daily Times 

When submitting an EOI, make sure you include the following information:

• Your name or the name of your company
• The CCAMLR sub-areas of interest
• What species you will be targeting
• The fishing methods you'll use
• The name of any vessels you'll be using

Send your EOI to MPI by emailing amlr@mpi.govt.nz before the due date.

While we prefer email, you can post your EOI to:

AMLR permits
International Fisheries Management
International Policy
Ministry for Primary Industries
PO Box 2526
Wellington 6140.

Once received, MPI will assess your EOI, and if suitable we'll ask you to submit a formal AMLR fishing permit application. 

AMLR fishing permit application

We'll tell you what information you need to provide in your application and the due date (usually late March).

Send an electronic and a hard copy of your application to MPI.

Successful applicants will be notified in June.

Pay the notification fee

If successful and your vessel is nominated, you will have to pay a notification fee to the CCAMLR Secretariat. The CCAMLR Secretariat will invoice you a notification fee (AUD$8,600) per vessel per new/exploratory toothfish fishery.

You must pay the notification fee to the CCAMLR Secretariat by 1 July. If you don't, your vessel notification won't get approved.  

Get your AMLR fishing permit

After you have paid the notification fee and the CCAMLR Commission has approved your vessel notification, MPI will draft an AMLR fishing permit for the Minister of Fisheries to approve.

We'll base the conditions of the permit on CCAMLR's conservation measures and New Zealand's legal requirements. If approved, you'll get your permit in late November. Every vessel must have an approved AMLR permit on board at all times when fishing in CCAMLR waters.

New Zealanders wanting to take marine organisms for research on the Antarctic continent or from a vessel around the Southern Ocean must:

• get approval to conduct research from the Minister of Foreign Affairs
• get an AMLR research permit from the Minister of Fisheries (through MPI).

The Antarctica New Zealand website has information on how to get approval from the Minister of Foreign Affairs by applying for logistical support. 

Find how to get research approval – Antarctica NZ website

How to get your AMLR research permit from MPI

Your application for a permit must include information consistent with Antarctica New Zealand’s approved science events:

• the event manager's:
• full name
• address
• email
• phone number(s)
• the event number assigned by Antarctica New Zealand
• what dates you need the permit for (include duration of the trip)
• a complete list of the marine organism(s) by weight and/or number – alive or dead – that you plan to take
• full details of or a copy of the completed Environment Impact Assessment information being submitted to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

Send your application to MPI at least 16 weeks before you plan to go.

What happens next

We'll assess your application for a permit and may ask you for extra information. 

If the AMLR research permit is approved and signed by the Minister of Fisheries, you'll be notified and provided with your AMLR research permit.