Fishers who took too many or undersize pāua, too many tuatua and cockles have earned thousands of dollars in fines, along with community work.
“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,” says Fisheries New Zealand’s Director of Fisheries Compliance, Steve Ham.
The following cases were before the courts over the past month.
A 35-year-old Napier man was ordered to do 100 hours of community work by the Hastings District Court. The man took 43 pāua of which 38 were undersize. He had his catch inspected by Fishery Officers in January this year. The daily limit per person for taking pāua is five at a minimum size of 125mm.
A 46-year-old Balclutha man was fined $1050 in the Dunedin District Court for taking 56 pāua from Kaka Point in November last year.45 of the shellfish were undersize. The man had his catch inspected by Fishery Officers. The daily legal limit per person for taking pāua in this area is 10 at a minimum legal size of 125mm.
A Northland couple, aged 70 and 64 have been fined $1000 in the Kaitaia District Court for taking 915 tuatua. The couple were gathering tuatua in January this year at 90 Mile Beach and had their catch inspected by Fishery Officers. The daily limit for taking tuatua per person is 150.
Two Waitara men aged 37 and 44 have each been ordered to do 100 hours community work by the New Plymouth District Court. The men were gathering pāua in November last year from a reef at Rahotu in Taranaki. Fishery Officers were alerted to their fishing activities through the 0800 4 POACHER hot line. The men had 338 pāua and 199 were undersize. The daily limit per person in this area is five per person at a minimum length of 85mm.
A 25-year-old Auckland man was fined $1100 in the Manukau District Court for his part in taking 542 mussels from 90 Mile Beach. Two other men involved are still before the court. They were stopped by Fishery Officers in February this year. The daily limit per person for taking mussels in the area is 50. The 392 mussels they were not entitled to, were returned to the sea.
A 51-year-old Wellington man has been fined $1250 in the Wellington District Court for taking 32 undersize pāua from Breaker Bay. The man had his catch inspected by Fishery Officers in February this year. The daily limit per person for taking pāua in this area is five at a minimum size of 125mm.
Two Aucklanders aged 34 and 35 were each fined $750 in the Papakura District Court for jointly taking 715 cockles from a closed area. The pair were stopped by Honorary Fishery Officers in December last year at Umupuia Beach. The closure to taking cockles has been in place since 2008.
Three people from Northland and Auckland, aged 46, 28 and 25 have each been fined $1100 in the Dargaville District Court for their part in taking 200 undersize pāua from Kawerua in October 2024. They had their catch inspected by Fishery Officers. The daily limit per person at the time was 10 pāua at a minimum size of 125mm.
A 47-year-old Taranaki man has been fined $2500 in the Hawera District Court for taking 55 pāua with 40 of the shellfish undersize. Fishery Officers responded to a call from a member of the public in November last year and inspected the man’s catch, taken from a reef at Pihama. The daily limit per person in this area is five pāua at a minimum legal size of 85mm.
“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 Ham.
We encourage people to report any suspected illegal activity through the Ministry for Primary Industries’ 0800 4 POACHER line (0800 476 224).
