Central Hawke’s Bay: Blackhead Beach pāua bust - man throws his catch into the sea as police inspect it

Police stopped the man inside the marine reserve near Blackhead Beach.

A 41-year-old man has been arrested in Central Hawke’s Bay after throwing his haul of pāua into the sea when police officers went to inspect it.

Police had stopped a vehicle within the Te Angiangi Marine Reserve at Blackhead Beach about 11.55am on Tuesday as part of a routine compliance check under the Fisheries Act.

Fisheries New Zealand district manager of fisheries compliance Mike Sutton said as police were inspecting the catch of the man, he ran off and dumped the pāua into the ocean.

“We seized the person’s vehicle and they will likely face charges under the Fisheries Act, once we’ve established how much pāua was taken.”

A police spokesman said the man was arrested at the scene for obstruction.

They then did a search of the vehicle and found a pistol and ammunition, which he is set to face charges in court over.

“Charges relating to the fisheries matter have been referred to the Ministry for Primary Industries [MPI],” the spokesman said.

It is not the first time Blackhead Beach has been at the centre of alleged fisheries breaches.

Two Hawke’s Bay men faced charges under the Fisheries Act after being caught with 353 mostly undersized pāua off Farm Rd near Blackhead Beach in December 2024.

According to MPI’s website, the daily catch limit and minimum size limits for pāua can vary from place to place.

In Hawke’s Bay, there is a daily limit of five per fisher with a minimum size 125mm.

Te Angiangi Marine Reserve protects a piece of the Central Hawke’s Bay coast, between Aramoana and Blackhead.

The reserve was established in 1997 and is 446 hectares.

Marine reserves include habitats such as estuaries, rocky and sandy shores, mangrove forests, reefs and open ocean.

Animals and plants within a marine reserve are protected by law, and can’t be fished or taken from the reserve. Non-living features such as sand, shells and rocks are also protected.

Michaela Gower joined Hawke’s Bay Today in 2023 and is based out of the Hastings newsroom. She covers Dannevirke and Hawke’s Bay news and loves sharing stories about farming and rural communities.