Trio appear in Whangarei District Court over illegal take of 2683 mussels in harbour

Fisheries officers confiscated 2683 mussels - nearly 18 times the legal limit - from the men as they came ashore on Whangarei Harbour.

Three men have appeared in court in relation to the largest seizure of illegally gathered mussels in Northland in over a decade.

Ministry of Primary Industries officers confiscated 2683 mussels - nearly 18 times the legal limit - from three men as they came ashore on Whangarei Harbour after reports from members of the public who became suspicious of the trio in late August.

The three men, aged 34, 38, and 40, claimed to be getting the seafood for a weekend gathering but allegedly had no permits.

Appearing in Whangarei District Court yesterday, James Ututaonga, with Malua Hei and Jan Watts, entered no plea to a charge of contravening the Fisheries Act by exceeding the daily catch for mussels.

Ututaonga and Hei both faced a further charge of obstructing a fisheries officer, to which they entered no plea.

The three men were remanded until next Wednesday to enable them to seek legal advice. The legal daily catch for green-lipped mussels is 50 per person.

A vehicle, boat and trailer used by the men to take the mussels were confiscated at the scene.

Under the Fisheries Act the charges faced by the trio are punishable by fines of up to $250,000. The mussels were returned to Whangarei Harbour.