According to the news report a Chatham Islands commercial fisher, Valentine Croon Junior, 36, has got financial penalties totalling more than $170,000 for illegal paua fishing. It is told that he took an estimated 1200 kilograms of paua with a commercial value of about $39,000 using underwater breathing apparatus (UBA), which is not a permitted method.
In 2007 a Fisher Officer has observed a Chatham Islands businessman in removing scuba equipment from his fishing vessel Energizer. The scuba equipment was hidden in a small cave. His argument that “diving on air” should be permitted in what he saw as the unique Chatham Islands fishery was not accepted by the court.
As per District Court Judge McKegg despite the different views on this – Croon claimed it promoted preservation and protection from shark attacks – the current law was that UBA was prohibited in the paua fishery. It is found that was the offender’s fourth conviction for having UBA on a commercial vessel and his second for taking fish using UBA.
Ministry of Fisheries Christchurch Field Operations Manager Peter Hyde said that Croon was also banned from commercial fishing for three years. Not permitting UBA was an effort to protect the paua fishery in deeper water, beyond the reach of divers holding their breath.
Ministry of Fisheries Chief Executive Wayne McNee informed that he was very disappointed that Croon had not changed his behaviour despite his previous convictions for similar offences.
