Fisheries Prosecutions Roundup

Pāua theft, too many cockles, buying recreationally caught fish, and other shellfish offences result in big fines. 

People failing to follow shellfish gathering rules, along with fishing in closed areas and buying recreationally caught fish has cost some fishers thousands of dollars in fines.

“There are consequences for failing to follow fishery rules and for some people, it will hurt their wallet. Our job is to protect fishing resources so that everyone can enjoy the opportunity to put fresh kaimoana on the dinner the table,” says Fisheries New Zealand Director of Fisheries Compliance, Steve Ham.

A 26-year-old Taranaki man was fined $800 in the Hawera District Court for taking pāua from a closed area. In August last year, a Fishery Officer received a call on the poacher line about a man taking pāua from the reef at Manihi Road which is within the Western Taranaki closure area. The man had 23 pāua and had previously been spoken to by Fishery Officers about the shellfish closure.

A group of three Timaru fishers aged between 27 and 48 were each fined $750 for taking a total of 64 pāua from the Mutu Mutu Point area of which 63 were undersize. The area is within the Tuhawaiki Mātaitai reserve where a bylaw allows fishers to take three pāua each per day. They were stopped by a Fishery Officer in September last year and appeared in the Timaru District Court for sentencing.

A 52-year-old Māhia man was fined $800 in the Wairoa District Court for refusing an inspection of his catch by a Police constable at the boat ramp in December 2021. Under the Fisheries Act, Police also hold the power of a Fishery Officer, and the constable could see at least two fish bins on board that appeared to be filled with crayfish. The man was fined because he refused to bring his boat in for inspection, saying he hadn’t finished fishing yet, and was charged with obstruction.

People failing to follow shellfish gathering rules, along with fishing in closed areas and buying recreationally caught fish, has cost some fishers thousands of dollars in fines.

A Canterbury pair aged 38 and 53 were fined $900 each in the Christchurch District Court for being in possession of 677 cat’s eyes. The pair were fishing with two children and the four of them were entitled to 200 cat’s eyes (50 each), so they had over three times the daily limit. The group were stopped and inspected by an Honorary Fishery Officer in November 2023.

An Auckland couple aged 35 and 36 have been fined $300 each in the Waitakere District Court for being in possession of 724 cockles when they were entitled to 50 each. They were stopped by Fishery Officers in January this year at Okoromai Bay. The couple told Fishery Officers they were not aware of the rules although there are three large signs displaying the rules there.

A 56-year-old Auckland man was fined $2,600 in the North Shore District Court for buying fish that was caught illegally. Between February and November 2022, the man bought fish including snapper, mullet, and kahawai on 12 occasions. The person he bought the fish from is subject to a separate prosecution by Fisheries New Zealand.

A 44-year-old Hawkes Bay man was fined $500 after being found with 25 undersize pāua he took from Blackhead Beach in November 2023. The man had his catch inspected by a Fishery Officer who found he had a total of 26 pāua in his catch bag. This was five times the legal daily limit and he was fined an additional $500 in the Napier District Court for that offence.

A 45-year-old Wellington man was fined $1,700 in the Wellington District Court for being in possession of over 9 times the legal daily limit for pāua. He had his catch inspected by a Fishery Officer at Red Rocks on the South Coast in November last year. Most of the pāua were under the legal size of 125mm. The daily legal limit for pāua is five per person.

Two Taranaki men aged 33 and 24, have each been fined $500 in the New Plymouth District Court for taking green lipped mussels and whelks from an area closed to fishing. The men were stopped by Fishery Officers in August last year following a call to MPI’s poacher line. Fishery Officers found the men gathered 198 green lipped mussels and 15 whelks off the reef in Oakura. The reef is inside the Western Taranaki closure area that has been in place since December 2022.

A 37-year-old Wairoa man was ordered to do 100 hours community work by the Wairoa District Court for taking 49 pāua from Mahia Beach which is inside the Toka Tāmure Mātaitai Reserve. Taking pāua is prohibited in this reserve. The man was stopped by a Fishery Officer in July last year – 17 of the pāua were undersize. 

“If you’re unsure of the fishing rules in the area you plan to fish – get the most up to date fishing rules by downloading the free NZ Fishing Rules mobile app. It will also work if you’re fishing in an area with limited mobile coverage,” says Fisheries New Zealand Director of Fisheries Compliance Steve Ham.

Fisheries New Zealand encourages people to report any suspected illegal fishing activity through the Ministry for Primary Industries’ 0800 4 POACHER line (0800 47 62 24).

- Ministry for Primary Industries