Three caught with excess scallops

Three Whangarei men have been caught with more than 145 undersize scallops at a Northland beach.

Earlier this month fishery officers in Whangarei intercepted a group of divers returning to the shore at Urquharts Bay.

The first man, 18, was found with 15 scallops, 11 of which were undersize.

The second man, also 18, was in possession of 53 scallops, 47 of which were undersize.

While the third man, 29, was found to have 100 scallops in his sack, of which, 92 were undersize.

None of the men had measuring devices.

The trio admitted taking the scallops and will now face fines ranging from $500 to $20,000 and Court convictions.

“All three men were aware of the daily limits and size restriction but chose to ignore these and openly flout the law,” says District Compliance Manager, Darren Edwards.

“Behaviour of this type will result in the full weight of the law being applied.

“The scallop restrictions are put in place to ensure that we have a sustainable fishery for the future,” he says.

Divers are reminded that the daily bag limit for scallops is 20 per diver with an allowance for two safety people on a boat. The size restriction is 100mm.

Northland’s scallop season is from September 1 to March 31 inclusive.

If members of the public see any suspicious activity, they should contact the Ministry of Fisheries on 0800 4 POACHER (0800 4 76224).

More information on the recreational fishing rules for Northland is available on the MoF website: