A weighted fishing net possibly set illegally alongside the Pilot Bay side of Mauao, and killing wildlife, was retrieved by divers yesterday.
Ryan Bowater, an instructor from Dive HQ, spotted the set net on Thursday and returned yesterday with five other divers to retrieve it.
Mr Bowater said he had seen a dead shag caught up in the net and yesterday the divers freed a stingray that had also been caught. Six fish and a small shark were also in the net, which was about 10m from shore just off Mauao.
The setup comprised two 25-metre nets and the divers believed it had been set deliberately rather than fallen off a boat. The divers said the net was in a training area and posed a hazard for student divers. It was also an environmental issue, they said.
Mr Bowater said he had come across similar situations before.
Ministry of Fisheries field operations manager for Waikato, the Bay of Plenty and the Coromandel, Brendon Mikkelsen, said the ministry was not aware of the incident.
He encouraged anyone concerned about fishing nets to ring the ministry on 0800 4 POACHER (0800 476224). Mr Mikkelsen said he was unable to comment on whether the net had been placed illegally, as the ministry had not seen it.
A Department of Conservation spokeswoman said DoC was concerned about inappropriate use of nets but referred the Bay of Plenty Times to the Ministry of Fisheries.
SET NET RULES
Any net or nets used either individually or jointly must not extend more than a quarter of the way across any bay, channel, river, stream or sound.
Nets must not be set in a way that causes fish to be stranded by a falling tide.
The use of stakes to secure nets is prohibited.
Each end of a net must have a surface buoy permanently and legibly marked with the fisher's initials and surname.
Set nets must not exceed 60m in length.
Nets must not be set within 60m of another net.
Source: Ministry of Fisheries
Divers recover hazardous fishing net
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