Two Northland women who advertised seafood for sale on closed Facebook pages have each been fined for breaching fisheries regulations.
Santi Samuels-Taylor, 40, from Kamo, and 23-year-old Peti Elizabeth Mark, from Raumanga, were convicted and fined $1000 each under the Fisheries Act.
Both were also ordered to pay $130 court costs when they appeared in the Whangarei District Court.
Samuels-Taylor was sentenced last week and Mark on June 27.
Ministry for Primary Industries Northland district compliance manager Stephen Rudsdale said Samuels-Taylor's offending was discovered after a tip from a member of the public.
He said she had advertised a raffle for kina roe, crayfish and oysters on a closed Facebook page in mid-December last year.
"When she was spoken to she said she had sold 10 punnets of kina and 10 punnets of oysters. She also said she had received the seafood from her brother and wasn't aware of the rules relating to recreationally taken seafood," Mr Rudsdale said.
"The rules around what you can and can't do with recreational catch are clear. If people have broken the law, they will be fined accordingly."
A tip from the public also led to the conviction of Mark, who had been advertising crayfish for sale on a closed Facebook group page. Mark detailed costs for different sizes of crayfish where a "large" was $40, a "medium" $30 and a "small" $25. She also added she had 11 crays for sale and would sell a bulk lot for $250. A short time later the post was amended to nine crays for sale for $200.
Mr Rudsdale said Mark subsequently told fishery officers that she had only three crayfish, two of which she sold for $40 each, and that the other had been eaten. She said she spent the money from the sale of the two crays on dinner.
Mr Rudsdale said social media was proving to be a powerful tool in uncovering fishing-related offences.
"Both of these cases were a result of information from the public. The people who tipped us off obviously knew it was illegal to sell fish or shellfish caught recreationally. The rules are clear but if you're unsure, we are always happy to advise on what you can and can't do. If in doubt, give us a call or post your query on our Facebook page."
- People can report poaching, suspicious or illegal activity by calling 0800 4 POACHER (0800-476-224) or emailing poacher@mpi.govt.nz.