12 hours ago
Fishermen caught with more than 1800 pāua in Porirua facing charges
A fifth of the1863 pāua fishery officers discovered on a vessel.
Photo:
Supplied / Fisheries New Zealand
A pair of fishers are likely to face charges after being caught with more than 1800 pāua in Porirua.
The pāua was seized by fishery officers based in Wellington earlier this week.
"While inspecting a vessel shortly after it landed at Titahi Bay on Tuesday afternoon, fishery officers discovered 1863 pāua, which had already been shucked," Fisheries New Zealand regional Manager Phil Tasker said.
The estimated retail value of the pāua was approximately $25,000.
Tasker said it was one of the biggest hauls of illegally harvested pāua in recent times.
"There is a maximum daily limit of five pāua per fisher in this area, which gives some context to the scale of this offending, and the potential damage it could do to the pāua population."
The case is still under investigation, but Tasker said the two men in possession of the shellfish were likely to face charges under the Fisheries Act.
He said it was incredibly disappointing to see offending of this scale.
"This fishery is a shared resource, and the rules are there to protect its sustainability for everyone. Our message for those who think they can steal this shared resource is that we will pursue offending and there will be consequences."
Tasker said most fishers wanted to follow the rules.
"The best way to stay on top of the rules for the area you're fishing or gathering shellfish in is to download the free NZ Fishing Rules mobile app," he said.
The Ministry for Primary Industries encouraged people to report suspected illegal activity through the ministry's 0800 4 POACHER number (0800 47 62 24).
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