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 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. 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. 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 catch inspected by an Honorary Fishery Officer in November 2023.
A 56-year-old Auckland man was fined $2600 in the North Shore District Court for buying fish that was caught illegally.
“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).
