Northland Fishery Officers keep strict vigil on the fishers of the recreational scallop season to maintain law and order. A large number of fishers were inspected, with the majority staying within the daily bag limit of 20 per diver. Ministry of Fisheries Northland Field Operations Manager Darren Edwards said that there are always those who think they can operate outside the rules and take excess or undersize shellfish.
After last week patrols nine warnings and one infringement notice were issued. The worst offending was two Whangarei men facing serious charges after being apprehended with 436 scallops using a customary permit. Edwards said that if anyone fails to comply with the conditions imposed by an authorised permit issuer, the permit becomes invalid and Fishery Officers have no choice but to deal with them as recreational fishers.
Phil Heatley, Whangarei MP and Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture, told that he was pleased to see general understanding of and adherence to the rules, but this type of offending was disappointing. He added that it is mandatory to follow rules and regulations of the fishery strictly and Fishery Officer are doing right job which creates awareness among members of the public.
