Entries for the New Zealand Seafood Sustainability and Innovation Awards 2025 are now open.

Fisheries New Zealand is seeking nominations from people and organisations who are putting in the hard mahi to help ensure our seafood sector is sustainable and innovative, said Dan Bolger, Deputy Director-General Fisheries New Zealand.

“The Seafood Sustainability and Innovation Awards recognise the individuals, businesses of all sizes, iwi organisations and not-for-profits who are demonstrating exceptional commitment to ensuring that our oceans are productive and healthy, both now and for future generations,” Bolger said.

A panel of independent judges, representing different parts of the seafood sector, will select finalists and winners across five categories - Operational Innovator Award, Market Innovator Award, Future Leader Award, Ocean Guardian Award, and Tangata Tiaki/Kaitiaki Award.

The winner of the Supreme Sustainability and Innovation Award will be selected from winners across these categories.

In addition, a Minister for Oceans and Fisheries Award will be presented to recognise a long-term contribution to sustainability and innovation in the seafood sector.

"We are pleased to acknowledge Seafood New Zealand as the sponsor of the Supreme Sustainability Award and Aquaculture New Zealand as the sponsor of the Market Innovator Award. Additional sponsors will be named shortly," Bolger said.

In 2023 the judging panel selected Scott and Sue Tindale from Tindale Marine Research Charitable Trust for their ongoing contribution to educating the public and raising awareness about the sustainability of the oceans and fisheries.

"They are well known across the recreational fishing sector. Not only are they very successful and internationally renowned anglers themselves but they have worked tirelessly to increase public participation and interest in the health of our oceans," Fisheries New Zealand said.

"Through their charitable research trust, they have developed a successful fish tagging program which has tagged thousands of fish and provided valuable information used for monitoring fish stocks. Fisheries New Zealand supports this programme and is looking for ways to incorporate this data into its fisheries management system."

To nominate yourself or someone else, complete the online form on the MPI website.

Award entries are open from June 24 2025, and close at 5pm, July 24, 2025.

Finalists will be announced in August with an awards presentation at Parliament on September 11, 2025.

For more information please email: FisheriesNZ_media@mpi.govt.nz