Selling recreationally caught seafood, undersize and too much pāua, kina, cockles and taking prohibited toheroa earn big fines.
A 57-year-old Auckland man was fined $800 in the Auckland District Court for taking 302 cockles. In May this year, the man had his catch inspected by a fishery officer at Shelly Beach on the Coromandel Peninsula. The daily limit is 50 cockles per person in this area.
A 30-year-old Hastings man was fined $800 in the Waitakere District Court for taking 40 pāua from Mangakuri Beach at Hawkes Bay. The man was stopped and had his catch inspected by fishery officers in April last year. The daily limit for pāua in this area is 10 per person.
A 57-year-old Otaki man was fined $2,200 in the Porirua District Court for both being in possession of recreationally caught pāua intended for sale, along with numerous sales of pāua. Fishery Officers investigating his behaviour between January and April last year, found the man had 20 pāua he intended to sell, along with evidence of pāua sales where he had received about $400. It is illegal to sell recreationally caught seafood.
A 33-year-old Wellington man was fined $1500 in the Porirua District Court for taking 52 pāua from Hongoeka Bay in January this year. Fishery Officers inspected his catch and 50 of the pāua were under the legal size of 125mm and he exceeded the daily catch limit of 5.
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.
