Big fines and community service for taking undersize and too much pāua and crayfish
Some fishers have been fined thousands for pāua offences and others have been ordered to do 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 people were before the court towards the end of last year.
A 30-year-old Waikanae man was ordered to do 80 hours community work by the Wellington District Court for taking 40 pāua from the Red Rocks area of Wellington’s south coast. He was stopped by fishery officers in April 2025 year. The daily legal limit per gatherer is five pāua with a minimum size of 125mm.
A 40-year-old Mahia man has been fined $7,980 in the Wairoa District Court for a range of fisheries offences. They include being in possession of 85 pāua of which 84 were undersize in 2024 and in possession of undersize and excess pāua in 2025. The man was also prohibited from all fishing for three years. The daily limit per person for gathering pāua in this area is five with a minimum size of 125mm.
A 39-year-old Gisborne man was ordered to do 80 hours community work for being in possession of 15 crayfish. He was stopped by fishery officers in 2025. The daily limit per person for taking crayfish in this area is three with a minimum tail size of 54mm for male or 60mm for female spiny red crayfish.
A 39-year-old Christchurch man was fined a total of $1500 in the Christchurch District Court for being in possession of 26 pāua – 25 of the shellfish were undersize. The daily limit per person for gathering pāua in this area is five with a minimum size of 125mm. The man had his catch inspected by Fishery Officers in September 2025.
“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 Mr Ham.
Fisheries New Zealand encourages people to report suspected illegal activity to the ministry’s 0800 4 POACHER number (0800 476 224).
