Not Taking Observer a Costly Mistake

The owner of a longline tuna fishing company, who failed to take a fisheries observer on a fishing trip, was fined $7,800 at the Dunedin District Court (16/2/22).

 It’s the second time in a year that Wayne David MacFarlane (44), who is the director of Tuna Fishing Company Limited, has been convicted and sentenced for offences under the Fisheries Act.

On 9 April 2021, the Northern Odyssey left the Port of Dunedin with an observer aboard, and the vessel returned to unload its catch and make refrigeration repairs on 15 April.

While in port, the skipper of the fishing vessel assured the observer that they would not be returning to sea without them. However, by 19 April the Northern Odyssey left its berth to go fishing without the observer. Officers contacted MacFarlane to have the skipper return the vessel to Port and pick up the observer, but he refused.

The vessel finally returned to port on 26 April 2021 and the catch from the fishing trip was seized by MPI valued at $64,264.27.

Upon conviction, the Court ordered the proceeds of the sale of the catch be forfeited to the Crown along with the fishing vessel, Northern Odyssey, valued at about $1.1 million.