More than 300 people have been caught illegally taking shellfish from Hawke's Bay beaches in just two and half years, frustrating those who keep watch over the region's wild coast.
All in all, more than 8000 illegally taken shellfish have been seized from the stretch of coast from Mahia down to Central Hawke's Bay and parts of northern Wairarapa since the start of 2017, figures released under the Official Information Act reveal.
Paua was the poachers' shellfish of choice with 4473 seized by MPI officers, followed by 457 kina. Other assorted shellfish taken totalled 3723.
The figures show that 340 people breached the Fisheries legislation in relation to shellfish related activities, receiving either a warning, infringement or, in the most shocking cases, a prosecution.
Twelve prosecutions took place in the region in 2018 with a further five prosecuted this year.
Experienced Ministry for Primary Industries compliance officer Tyrone Robinson said the numbers of prosecutions for taking shellfish remained stubbornly "constant".
Halfway through 2019, 37 infringements have been handed to people illegally taking shellfish. In 2018, 45 infringements were handed out, and 26 in 2017.
All seized shellfish is returned to the sea whenever possible, but it seldom survives.
"Paua are haemophiliacs and when cut with a sharp knife or object they're unable to stop bleeding resulting in the paua dying. Keeping them out of direct sunlight, keeping them cool and moist and returning them to the water as soon as possible greatly increases their chances of survival," Robinson said.
It's a mixed bag when it comes to the offenders - some new, some old - with minor breaches often receiving a written warning issued in the field.
The limit for paua is 10 per person per day with the minimum size 125mm, so when MPI officers spot divers with heavy sacks slung over their shoulders, they're quick to investigate.
MPI officers rely heavily on public reports of increased activity in localised areas and Robinson said he was grateful for the assistance.
"We would like to thank members of the public for being proactive in reporting of instances. When received, we often plan patrol activity based on this information. A key message we would like to get out there is 'take for a feed, not greed'.
"Serious offending will not be tolerated and MPI will use available resources to protect our kaimoana for everyone's benefit."
Robinson said it takes paua about seven years to fully mature and with the illegal taking of them, habitats are susceptible to localised depletion.
Passionate about his job, Robinson said he's heard every excuse under the sun.
"After 17 years as a fishery officer there are not many excuses I haven't heard. One particular recreational inspection comes to mind. It involved a diver exiting the water having been for a dive. He was carrying two sacks, one over each shoulder. His first response to me was to say 'you wouldn't believe this, but I was swimming around and just found this sack of paua in the water'.
"I thought, 'you're right, I don't believe it'."
But it turns out the man was telling the truth. When Robinson went to inspect them the paua were covered in sand and had been buried for weeks, if not months.
"They were rotting, they didn't look good," Robinson said.
"The limit is only 10 per person and they should be measuring as they go, so I've caught people with about 30 paua, saying 'oh I was going to put them back'."
Robinson said he's also come across people who claimed they were catching paua for "a group" rather than just themselves.
He was reluctant to share the most targeted locations because it would identify locations to possible offenders.
Two men from Hastings were jointly charged in the Hastings District Court this year after taking 485 paua from Blackhead beach. Only two were the legal size.
Michael George Kaka of Flaxmere and Tama Gordon Tonihi were both sentenced to 300 hours of community work.
Three Hawke's Bay divers with 361 undersized paua were also discovered by a Ministry for Primary Industries officer after their car got stuck on a beach.
Jason Takitaki Te Kahu, 41, appeared in the Hastings District Court charged with obstructing a fisheries officer.
The offending took place in 2017, but Te Kahu, along with Nathan Christopher Gerrard, 33, and Richard Trevor Rapana, 39, were also sentenced to community work for the offending.
The paua were returned to the sea, but again, survival was unlikely.
Department of Conservation officer Rod Hansen said illegal taking of shellfish was a problem, particularly on Central Hawke's Bay beaches.
"It's a common problem right along that coast. Unfortunately at the marine reserve we have a really high level of poaching and with a reserve it's 'zero take', it doesn't sit under fisheries regulations, it sits under the Conservation Act."
Hansen believed the paua was taken for its value in the black market across New Zealand.
"It doesn't matter what size it is in the black market - it's paua and people will buy it unfortunately."
Hansen said he came across 20 people offending in the Te Angiangi Marine Reserve last year.
"That's a huge number, I've been keeping an eye on these areas for 20 years and I can't remember how many people I've come across in total, but it's a lot."
Robinson said their jobs were made a lot easier with the help of the public who act as their eyes and ears.
"They play a big part in the success we have in catching people who are breaking the law in this way. The 0800 4 POACHER (0800 476 224) line is a well-used number that anyone can call to report suspicious behaviour related to fishing activity."
OPINION: Kem Ormond is busy with onion seed trays & preparing the ground for strawberries.