Recreational fishers who took too much shellfish including pāua, mussels, tuatua along with obstructing fishery officers were ordered to pay thousands of dollars in fines.
“People who choose to ignore the fishing rules need to know there will be consequences. Our job is to protect fishing resources so that everyone can enjoy the opportunity to put fresh kaimoana on the dinner the table.
“Those who try to obstruct us in this work should know there will be consequences,” says Fisheries New Zealand Acting Director of Fisheries Compliance, Phil Tasker.
The following cases were before the courts over the past month.
Five fishers from Waitara, aged between 31 and 47 were each fined $500 in the New Plymouth District Court for jointly taking pāua, kina, crab, octopus and cats’ eye from the closed Western Taranaki area. The group were stopped in December 2024 by Fishery Officers patrolling the coast. The area has been closed to gathering except for crayfish since 2022 and it was as result of a call to the MPI 0800 4 POACHER line that the fishers were caught. They had 50 pāua, 1 octopus, 15 kina and 1 cats’ eye.
Two Canterbury fishers aged 20 and 21 were sentenced in the Christchurch District Court on pāua charges. The 20-year-old was fined $6000, and the 21-year-old was ordered to do 100 hours community work. Along with one other person who is still to be sentenced, the pair were in August last year, stopped by Fishery Officers at Paia Point on the Kaikōura Coast. They had 422 pāua and 232 were undersize. The daily limit for taking pāua in that area at the time was 3 pāua per person.
Two Northland fishers aged 26 and 44 have each been fined $1000 in the Kaitaia District Court for taking 643 tuatua from 90 Mile Beach. They were stopped by Fishery Officers in October last year. The daily limit per person for taking tuatua is 150.
A 28-year-old Auckland man was fined $975 for using three set nets in a prohibited area to protect Hecto’s and Maui dolphins. The man was sentenced in the Waitakere District Court. The man put a set net in at Cornwallis beach in October 2025. The set nets were set within the area from Maunganui Bluff to Tirua Point. The construction of the set nets was also illegal.
40-year-old Hastings man was fined $2400 in the Hastings District Court for both obstructing a Fishery Officer from doing their work and taking 22 undersize pāua from Mangakuri beach in July last year.
A 51-year-old Northland man was fined $1200 in the Whangarei District Court for taking 250 green lipped mussels from Sandy Bay. The man was stopped by Fishery Officers in December last year. The daily limit per gatherer is 50 green lipped mussels.
Two Auckland men, aged 66 and 60 were each fined $1000 in the North Harbour District Court. The men took 796 catseyes’, eight whelks and two limpets from Army Bay in Whangaparaoa in January this year before the closure. They were stopped by Fishery Officers and were unaware of the rules in place at the time. Taking shellfish in that area was banned for two years in March this year.
Two Auckland men aged 45 and 49 years old have each been fined $900 in the North Shore District Court for taking 385 green lipped mussels from Muriwai beach in December last year. The men had their vehicle inspected by Fishery Officer. The daily recreational limit for taking green lipped mussels in that area is 25 per person.
A 60-year-old Northland man was fined $500 in the Kaitaia District Court for taking 454 tuatua. The man was stopped by Honorary Fishery Officers in December last year at 90 Mile Beach. The daily limit per person for taking tuatua is 150.
And a 68-year-old Auckland man was fined $900 in the North Shore District Court for his part in taking 385 green-lipped mussels. The man and two others were stopped by Fishery Officers in December last year at Muiriwai Beach. The daily limit per person for gathering green-lipped mussels is 25. The two others with him are still before the court.
“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 are fishing in an area with limited mobile coverage,” says Mr Tasker.
We encourage people to report any suspected illegal activity through the Ministry for Primary Industries’ 0800 4 POACHER line (0800 476 224).
