The Department of Conservation is hoping to lay charges against two men photographed aboard a fishing boat within the Poor Knights Islands Marine Reserve.
Kent Erickson, who works for Ocean Blue Adventures, was horrified to come across two men, one of whom appeared to be fishing, at the Poor Knights. The pair ignored loud whistles and calls to stop what they were doing.
DoC is investigating with a view to laying charges.
The name of the vessel and the two people on board has emerged online after the Facebook community shared a photograph taken by Mr Erickson, who was aboard a charter and assisting six tourists diving at the islands when he saw the men aboard an aluminium runabout. Two fishing lines were over the side, and one man was holding a fishing rod.
Mr Erickson whistled and called to the men to stop what they were doing but, when he boarded an inflatable boat to approach them, the men sped off, to a new location within the marine reserve.