Fishserve
Fishserve (Commercial Fisheries Services Limited) is the sole New Zealand Crown-appointed Approved Service Delivery Organisation (ASDO) administering the country's Quota Management System, providing web-based and electronic logbook systems used mandatorily by all commercial fishers and Licensed Fish Receivers for permit, vessel, catch, and quota registry compliance.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1999
- HeadquartersWellington, New Zealand
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Fishserve does
Fishserve (legally Commercial Fisheries Services Limited) is the sole Approved Service Delivery Organisation (ASDO) appointed by the New Zealand Crown under Part 15A of the Fisheries Act 1996, holding exclusive statutory responsibility for administering the country's Quota Management System (QMS) registry functions. Established in 1999 as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Seafood New Zealand Limited, the company operates from Wellington as a non-profit cost-recovery entity and was directly appointed as ASDO in August 2013 for ten years, with that appointment renewed in 2023 for a further five years. Its mandate covers the 98 species and 643 fish stocks managed across 10 Fisheries Management Areas within the New Zealand EEZ.
The company's core product is the Fishserve Client Website, a web-based Fisheries Management System that enables commercial fishers and Licensed Fish Receivers to apply for permits, register vessels, submit Monthly Harvest Returns, manage ACE (Annual Catch Entitlement) and quota transfers, view balances, and access public registers. It is supplemented by CEDRIC, a custom-built Windows desktop electronic logbook covering Trawl, Bottom Longline, and Purse Seining methods primarily used by large deep-sea trawlers; four dedicated APIs (Authentication, Logbook Registration, Event APIs, and Master Data APIs) that integrate third-party eLogbook providers as a data aggregation hub feeding into MPI's IEMRS platform; the annual Atlas of Area Codes and TACCs reference publication; and FRED, a subscription database service providing ACE and Quota register extracts. All commercial fishers in New Zealand have been required to submit electronic catch reports through Fishserve since December 2019.
Fishserve generates revenue through transaction-based service fees covering ASDO registry functions (e.g., NZ$17.71 flat electronic ACE transfers, NZ$556.60 base quota share transfers), monthly CEDRIC subscriptions at NZ$69 plus GST, fishing permit and vessel registration fees invoiced on behalf of MPI, and pay-as-you-go public register reports ranging from NZ$22.26 to NZ$333.96. The customer base is structurally mandated: 100% of NZ commercial fishers, all Licensed Fish Receivers, MPI/Fisheries New Zealand as the regulatory counterpart, and supporting sector bodies for financial management services. Distribution is direct-to-client digital via the website and phone/email/in-person support (8am-5pm NZST weekdays), with no channel partners or resellers.
Fishserve firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Fishserve
- Legal name
- Commercial Fisheries Services Limited
- Website
- https://fishserve.co.nz
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1999
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Fishserve (Commercial Fisheries Services Limited) is the sole New Zealand Crown-appointed Approved Service Delivery Organisation (ASDO) administering the country's Quota Management System, providing web-based and electronic logbook systems used mandatorily by all commercial fishers and Licensed Fish Receivers for permit, vessel, catch, and quota registry compliance.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Fishserve industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Fisheries Management Software
- akta.pro primary industry
- Coastal & Marine Resources Administration (Oceans, Fisheries, Shorelines) (BPAIAMAI)
Keywords
Where Fishserve is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Wellington
- HQ country
- New Zealand
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices1 record
Markets served
Fishserve business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- ASDO Services Fees: As the Approved Service Delivery Organisation (ASDO), Fishserve covers the costs of delivering ASDO services directly from users via monthly invoiced service fees. Fees apply per transaction type including MHR/LFRR amendments, ACE transfers (manual and electronic), quota share transfers, vessel registrations, GPR device registrations, and LFR licensing.
- Public Register Access Fees: Fishserve charges for public register information access. Online reports (individual ACE owner, quota owner, vessel owner details) are priced at NZ$22.26; stock-level reports at NZ$22.26 per stock; species-based reports at NZ$66.79 per species; full register downloads (CSV) at NZ$333.96. Fishing clients can add report costs to their account.
- Fishing Permit Fees: MPI service fees charged for fishing permits (1-year NZ$114.49, 5-year NZ$224.89 inclusive of 2.2% bank processing charge) and aquaculture agreement applications. Invoiced through Fishserve on behalf of MPI.
- Vessel Registration Fees: Fees for vessel registration vary by size and method (manual vs electronic) and duration. Electronic registration for vessels 28m and under costs from NZ$168.50 (1-year) to NZ$337.00 (5-year). Manual registration for vessels over 28m costs from NZ$631.87 (1-year electronic) to NZ$4,212.45 (5-year manual).
- CEDRIC Software Fee: Fishserve charges a monthly fee of NZ$69.00 plus GST for CEDRIC, applicable only for months where users submit a report. These charges are added to the monthly Fishserve invoice.
- TACC Atlas Publication Sales: Fishserve publishes and sells the annual Atlas of Area Codes and TACCs. The 2025/2026 edition is priced at NZ$92.50 plus GST per copy (courier included). Bulk discount: buy 10 get an extra copy free. Back editions available at NZ$22.50 plus GST.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | CEDRIC electronic logbook — NZ$69.00 per month (GST inclusive) |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Monthly | ASDO service fees — per-transaction charges (MHR, LFRR, ACE transfers, Quota transfers, Vessel registrations) |
| One time/ perpetual license | Annual | Fishing Permits — MPI service fees per Fishserve |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Public Register online reports — fixed fees per extract |
| Unit Pricing | One time/ perpetual license | TACC Atlas 2025/2026 — NZ$92.50 per copy (GST incl.) |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
Fishserve product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Fishserve administers New Zealand's Quota Management System (QMS) on behalf of the Crown as the sole Approved Service Delivery Organisation (ASDO). It delivers a web-based Fisheries Management System (the Fishserve Client Website) and an electronic logbook application (CEDRIC) that enable commercial fishers to apply for permits, register vessels, submit electronic catch returns, manage Annual Catch Entitlement (ACE) and Quota transfers, and access public fisheries registers. Additional offerings include the annual Atlas of Area Codes and TACCs publication and the FRED subscription register-extracts database.
Product overview
Fishserve offers a portfolio of interconnected products centered around the administration of New Zealand's Quota Management System (QMS). The core offering is the Fishserve Client Website (Fisheries Management System), a web-based platform that serves as the primary interface for clients to manage permits, submit returns, transfer ACE/quota, and access reports. Supporting this core platform are: CEDRIC, an electronic logbook Windows application for trawl, bottom longline and purse seining activities; the Atlas of Area Codes and TACCs, an annual reference publication for commercial fishing data; and FRED, a subscription database service providing ACE and Quota register extracts. All products collectively support the statutory administration of the QMS under the Fisheries Act 1996.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- CEDRIC: Catch Effort Data Return Information Capture software - an electronic logbook built in the early 2010s that enables permit holders to submit catch returns in line with the Fisheries Act 1996 and the Fisheries (Reporting) Regulations 2017 for Trawl, Bottom Longline and Purse Seining fishing methods.
- Fishserve Client Website
- Atlas of Area Codes and TACCs
Quantifiable outcome
- 100% of commercial fishers electronically reporting catch since December 2019
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Fishserve
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Fishserve technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Fishserve partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Seafood New Zealand LimitedcoreFishserve is a wholly owned subsidiary of Seafood New Zealand Limited. Seafood New Zealand is the Sector Representative Entity for the commercial seafood industry. Fishserve was established in 1999 as a subsidiary and does not pay dividends — surplus revenues are reinvested. The company's constitution limits Seafood New Zealand's board representation to one of four director seats.
- Ministry for Primary Industries / Fisheries New ZealandcoreFishserve is the Approved Service Delivery Organisation (ASDO) accountable to the Minister for Oceans and Fisheries for statutory functions under the Fisheries Act. It also provides registry services to Fisheries New Zealand (the regulatory authority for wild fish stocks management). The ASDO appointment was renewed in 2023 for five years.
- eLogbook ProviderscoreThird-party electronic logbook providers connect to Fishserve's ERS APIs (Authentication, Logbook Registration, Event APIs, Master Data APIs) to enable compliant electronic catch reporting. MPI holds the list of approved elogbook providers. Fishserve acts as the data aggregation hub between elogbook providers and MPI's IEMRS platform.
- Commodity Levy BodiesminorFishserve maintains relationships with Commodity Levy Bodies including the Paua Industry Council and Rock Lobster Industry Council, providing financial management services and supporting their fisheries management activities.
- Te Ohu KaimoanaminorFishserve shares relationships with Te Ohu Kaimoana (the Māori fisheries settlement organisation) to support sustainable fisheries management and alignment with the Māori Fisheries Settlement Act 1992.
- Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI)coreFishserve provides a data aggregation service for electronic reporting as part of MPI's Digital Monitoring Programme. In 2017 Fishserve was contracted by MPI to enhance its system to receive, aggregate, store, report and transmit catch data to MPI's IEMRS platform. All elogbook data flows through Fishserve to MPI.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Fishserve competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Satlink: Spanish-headquartered provider of satellite telecommunications and electronic monitoring solutions for the fishing industry, including eLogbook and VMS offerings. Comparable as a technology provider whose electronic catch reporting systems integrate into national fisheries administrations similar to Fishserve.
- Pole Star Space Applications: Provider of vessel tracking, fisheries compliance, and maritime intelligence solutions to regulators and fishing operators globally. Comparable as a regulatory technology vendor in the fisheries monitoring, vessel registration, and catch reporting space.
- Marine Instruments: Manufacturer of electronic logbooks, vessel monitoring systems, and fisheries electronics used by national authorities to monitor commercial fishing. Comparable as a hardware/software vendor supplying elogbook infrastructure that integrates with national QMS-style administrations such as Fishserve's.
Broad incumbents
- CLS Group (Collecte Localisation Satellites): French-headquartered global provider of satellite-based fisheries monitoring (VMS), catch reporting, and oceanographic data services to governments worldwide. Comparable as a large incumbent providing electronic catch reporting and fisheries data aggregation at scale across multiple national jurisdictions.
- Ministry for Primary Industries (Fisheries New Zealand): NZ government agency that holds overall regulatory authority for wild fish stock management and contracts Fishserve to deliver ASDO registry functions. Comparable as the broader public-sector fisheries administration body that outsources certain statutory services to Fishserve.
Direct peers
- Archipelago Marine Research: Canadian at-sea fisheries observer and electronic monitoring provider serving government fisheries management. Comparable as a service delivery organisation executing statutory fisheries data collection, catch reporting, and regulatory compliance functions on behalf of national authorities.
Others
- Te Ohu Kaimoana: Māori fisheries settlement organisation administering assets and settlement obligations under the Māori Fisheries Settlement Act 1992. Comparable as an adjacent NZ fisheries sector body with which Fishserve shares relationships and overlapping governance interest in sustainable fisheries management.
- Seafood New Zealand Limited: Sector Representative Entity for the NZ commercial seafood industry and parent company of Fishserve. Comparable as the apex industry body on whose behalf Fishserve administers fisheries services, providing the broader sector governance and policy context.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Fishserve social profiles
Digital presenceFishserve financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Fishserve leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles12 records
Fishserve funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Fishserve M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Fishserve
What does Fishserve do?
Fishserve administers New Zealand's Quota Management System (QMS) on behalf of the Crown as the sole Approved Service Delivery Organisation (ASDO). It delivers a web-based Fisheries Management System (the Fishserve Client Website) and an electronic logbook application (CEDRIC) that enable commercial fishers to apply for permits, register vessels, submit electronic catch returns, manage Annual Catch Entitlement (ACE) and Quota transfers, and access public fisheries registers. Additional offerings include the annual Atlas of Area Codes and TACCs publication and the FRED subscription register-extracts database.
Is Fishserve a public or private company?
Fishserve is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Fishserve founded?
Fishserve was founded in 1999. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Fishserve based?
Fishserve is headquartered in Wellington, New Zealand, in the Oceania region.
How does Fishserve make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. ASDO Services Fees are the primary driver. The others are public Register Access Fees, fishing Permit Fees, vessel Registration Fees, CEDRIC Software Fee and TACC Atlas Publication Sales.
Who are Fishserve's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Satlink, Pole Star Space Applications and Marine Instruments. Broad incumbents are CLS Group (Collecte Localisation Satellites) and Ministry for Primary Industries (Fisheries New Zealand). Archipelago Marine Research is listed as a direct peer. Others are Te Ohu Kaimoana and Seafood New Zealand Limited.
Does Fishserve have an API?
Yes. Fishserve provides internal APIs for third-party eLogbook providers to connect to the Fishserve Fisheries Management System. There are four specific APIs: (1) Authentication API - used for Fishserve APIs and registering logbooks; (2) Logbook Registration API - used for registering the public key for the logbook to submit event report data; (3) Event APIs - submit, retrieve or amend Fishing and Non-Fishing Events that occur on trips (such as Trawl Events or Processing Events); (4) Master Data APIs - retrieve relevant data to be used when creating Fishing and Non-Fishing Events (such as stock code lists or fishing methods). These APIs enable catch data reports to go through a validation process and be sent on to Fisheries New Zealand.
What industry is Fishserve in?
Fishserve's product category is Fisheries Management Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAIAMAI, Coastal & Marine Resources Administration (Oceans, Fisheries, Shorelines).