Poaching has become so widespread along the Hawke's Bay coastline that finding a legal-sized paua north of Napier has become almost impossible.
Fisheries officers were no longer dealing with catches of undersized, at-risk, paua in their dozens - now it was by the hundred.
The reason for the stripping of the coastline's
paua stocks was easy to answer, Ministry of Fisheries Napier district compliance officer Ray McKay said.
Simply, that those plundering the areas were more concerned about eating than about conservation.
"Despite all the publicity that unlawful fishing activity continues to receive, there are some sections of the public still not getting the message."
In the past fortnight fisheries compliance officers had been at times shocked by the amount of undersize paua they had uncovered.
One incident also illustrated that trying to get the message through to some recreational fishers did not work.
About a fortnight ago fisheries officers stopped a man at Aropaoanui who allegedly had 77 undersize paua with him. The paua was seized as evidence and charges under the Fisheries Act laid.
Last Monday officers came face to face with the man again. Mr McKay said this time he was in the company of two other men and the group were found to have 115 paua between them - despite the 10 per person per day law.
"Only one paua was found to be of legal size," Mr McKay said.
During the inspection by officers one of the trio took offence to what was happening - as a result he was arrested for obstruction.
In other incidents over the past fortnight officers encountered a group of people at Mangakuri Beach, south of Waimarama, with 105 paua. All but seven were undersize. Another group was stopped at Tangoio Beach and found to have 110 undersize paua.
"We're only just going into the season and already we're run off our feet," Mr McKay said.
"We've also had a string of minor incidents where we've either issued warnings or infringement notices."
Mr McKay said many of those caught had no perception, or seemed to care, about how serious the plundering of paua stocks had become.
"North of Napier, it would be hard to find a legal sized paua today."
Officers had also recently intercepted a Napier man and laid charges relating to the illegal selling of rock lobsters.
Compliance staff had seized a vehicle and were investigating what Mr McKay said were incidents going back several years.
