Northland fisher fined for illegal mussel spat sales from Ninety Mile Beach

The majority of the country’s mussel spat for commercial production is harvested from Te Oneroa-a-Tōhe Ninety Mile Beach.

A commercial fisher has been fined $104,000 for under-reporting and selling more than 2000kg of mussel spat collected from a Far North beach.

Northland commercial fisher Daniel John Lovell collected the juvenile shellfish from Te Oneroa-a-Tōhe Ninety Mile Beach, which is where the majority of the country’s mussel spat for commercial production is harvested.

Lovell was fined $50,625 for the offence and was ordered to pay $53,540 in reparation to the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI).

The 48-year-old, who had pleaded guilty, was sentenced on one charge under the Fisheries Act in the Kaitāia District Court on Friday.

Andre Espinoza, Fisheries New Zealand’s regional manager fisheries compliance north, said in the 2021/22 fishing year Lovell was found to have sold 1738kg more green lipped mussel spat than he reported on his monthly harvest report.

“His offending continued into 2022/2023 when he reported taking no spat, yet our sales inquiries found he had sold 939kg of spat to marine farmers.”

Commercial fishers and licenced fish receivers are only able to land what their quota rights or annual catch entitlement allows them.

Without quota rights or catch entitlement, anything landed above their allowance means a penalty, called deemed value, must be paid to the ministry.

Espinoza said fishery officers discovered Lovell’s illegal behaviour after the invoices shared between the fisherman and his buyers did not add up.

“Mr Lovell’s deliberate non-reporting meant he benefitted directly from not paying $53,540 in deemed value.

“Mr Lovell undermined the quota management system and the sustainability of our shared fishing resources.”

Espinoza said the vast majority of people involved in the fishing industry do the right thing.

MPI encourages people to report suspected illegal activity through the ministry’s 0800 4 POACHER number (0800 476 224).