For the past few days, serious offences have been encountered by the Fishery Officers in the Greater Auckland area. After some successful raids the officers seized four boats, worth over $100,000, the likely prosecution of at least six fishers and the issuing of dozens of infringement notices.
Ministry of Fisheries Auckland Field Operations Manager Greg Keys said that the incident was very disappointing as this is the first spell of good weather in months and already we are encountering a ridiculous level of serious offending. In one of the worst cases, Fishery Officers stopped two men near Maraetai and discovered that they had 119 snapper on board their 4.5-metre boat.
According to Keys the daily limit for snapper in this area, as everyone knows, is just nine per person but this pair had taken more than three times that amount. The men’s boat and fishing equipment have been seized and they are likely to face prosecution. It is obvious that high level of serious offending is a concern and it was good to see so many fishers and shellfish gatherers keeping to the rules.
The government is running a campaign to raise awareness of fisheries rules and encourage members of the public to help protect the fishery. Keys said that they are all guardians of our precious fisheries resources. It is good to learn rules minutely before hitting to the waters
