By Mathew Dearnaley
Exceptionally low tides on a fine Labour Weekend are giving scallop-hunters plenty to smile about. But for fisheries inspectors they are a headache.
The inspectors had no concerns about Manurewa 6-year-old Jessica Leef's scallop-gathering efforts at Clarks Beach on the southern shores of the Manukau Harbour yesterday.
Her family arrived
with a makeshift but effective measuring stick - a 100mm nail exactly equal to the minimum legal size of a scallop across the widest part of its shell.
Jessica, her mother and two young brothers seemed to have less trouble finding large enough scallops than others of the scores of Aucklanders who descended on the beach's ever-diminishing shellfish beds.
Some had little idea of what they were allowed to take and no way of measuring their catch, despite passing signs in six languages before taking the long walk to get their feet wet.
Honorary fisheries officers confiscated the entire catches of about half of 60 people who arrived back from the beds with scallops on Saturday, saying some had proved particularly "obnoxious."
Coordinating officer Trevor Collings said up to 140 were counted around the beds yesterday, but they were much better behaved, although his six-member team still ended up confiscating and throwing back 240 scallops. They also seized half of a catch of 846 sea snails from two people who claimed to be among a party of eight, each of whom was entitled to take 50 non-scallop shellfish.
Others were suspected of scooping scallops out of their shells beneath the high-water tide, which is illegal, and eating them there or smuggling the flesh ashore.
Most people were contrite when caught with undersized shellfish and were allowed to keep all their legal scallops.
First-time scalloper Sandra Speechley, of Papatoetoe, gathered two fewer than her daily entitlement of 20, but nine were under-sized so she lost them and had her name taken.
But she said she supported what the fisheries officers were doing and would make sure she left undersized shellfish alone if she went scalloping again.
More blatant offenders can expect no such leniency. About two months ago, two Coromandel divers found with 140 scallops were fined $2500 each and lost their boat.
Fisheries officers were pleased many youngsters yesterday were embracing the conservation ethic, including 13-year-old Clarks Beach resident Sean Audain, who had a catch of 20 scallops "spot on."
Asked about those who took undersized shellfish, he said: "I think they are stupid because there won't be any left in a few years."
