When police in New Zealand stopped Jason Nix’s car on an unrelated matter, they found more than twenty times the daily catch of sea cucumber in it – and called in fisheries officers.
The search of the vehicle turned up 1022 sea cucumbers. The daily per person catch limit is 50. Not long after, another search of his vehicle revealed 410 sea cucumbers. A Christchurch district court took a serious view of this and gave him an 18-month sentence and a three-year fishing ban, plus two boats, a car and a range of equipment were forfeit.
Prison time adds up to a total of thirty months, as other charges were also dealt with by the court at the same time. A man who was stopped with Jason Nix has yet to appear in court.
‘In one instance, Mr Nix was stopped by NZ Police on other issues and was found to have more than twenty times the daily limit for sea cucumbers in his vehicle that were likely to be sold on the black market,’ said Fisheries New Zealand district manager Marlborough/Canterbury Stuart Moore.
‘When we find evidence of poaching or any other illegal fishing, we will investigate and – in serious situations – place the case before the court. Our job is to protect the sustainability of our shared fisheries now and into the future. Our investigation found strong electronic evidence of illegal seafood sales. To buy sea cucumbers commercially can cost up to $80/kg. Black market sales of sea cucumbers can be as little as $25/kg, seriously undermining the legitimate market.’
