Divers breach paua permits

RULE BREAKERS: Paua are a wanted commodity and plenty of undersized shellfish are plucked from the water off Kawerua.PHOTOS/KRISTIN EDGE

The importance of abiding by conditions of customary permits has been highlighted during a operation targeting paua poachers on Northland's coastline.

A group of four paua divers had their vehicle seized and could find themselves in court after they failed to comply with specific instructions on the permit.

During a recent Ministry of Primary Industries sting on poachers taking undersized and excess paua from Kawerua, on the west coast north of Dargaville, fisheries officers stopped the group of four as they were driving home from the beach.

They produced a permit that allowed them to gather 100 paua for a wedding they were to attend. The permit stated the length for the paua had to be 125mm, which is the legal length for fishers without a permit. The quartet had also gathered their daily limit for paua under recreational fishing rules.

However, when fisheries officers checked their paua gathered using the permit it was discovered a bulk of the catch failed to meet the length specified on the permit. Of the 94 paua collected on the permit, only 11 were of legal size.

Because the conditions of the customary permit had been breached their catch was automatically subjected to recreational fishing regulations. It meant the two lots were added together. A total of 127 paua were counted and only 17 were of legal size. It also meant three times the daily bag limit had been taken and subjected the group to forfeiture of all the equipment used to gather the seafood. Investigations are continuing and they quartet could also find themselves in court.

MPI District Compliance Manager for Northland Steve Rudsdale said it was disappointing the permits had not been adhered to.

He said fisheries officers had nothing to do with the issuing of the permits as there were dedicated people in the community with that authority. They can issue anyone a permit to catch fish in their area for customary use.

Anyone given permission to take fish under the customary fishing regulations cannot trade the fish, exchange the fish for money or accept any form of payment.

"The issuers go to some length to explain what is required and the specifics of each permit," Mr Rudsdale said.

"Those gathering shellfish must abide by what is stipulated in the permit."

The summer period was traditionally a busy time for the issuing of permits.

The incident also highlighted the need to measure shellfish as soon as the were gathered so, if they were too small, they could be immediately returned to the sea.

Anyone convicted of a serious non-commercial offence can face fines of up to $20,000 and forfeiture of equipment.

In August a Kaikohe man was sentenced to six months' home detention after he had been banned form collecting any kind of shellfish and was nabbed at Kawerua as part of a group with 247 paua. Daniel Elvis Moke, 32, admitted to taking 28 paua of them, and again told officers his ban had finished.

The ministry encourages the public to report any suspicious fishing activity on 0800 4 POACHER (0800 476-224). All calls are confidential.

STRICT GUIDELINES

Every customary fishing authorisation must
specify the following information: Date when
fishing is to occur; names of who will be taking
the fish; species of fish to be caught; quantity
and size limit of each species to be caught;
fishing method for each species; area where
fishing is to occur; purpose and venue for which
the fish are needed.

- Source: Ministry for Primary Industries