Undeclared crayfish leads to forfeit of $190k boat

Two Far North commercial fishermen have forfeited a $190,000 fishing boat after being convicted of not declaring all the crayfish they landed.
A senior fisheries manager said the sentence sent a strong message out to those intent on ripping off the country's seafood stocks.
Fishermen Quentin Russell "Dossie" Sanderson and Ian Goldie, who operate out of Totara North on the Whangaroa Harbour, were last week sentenced on a raft of charges related to under-reporting their crayfish catch.
In addition, Colin Frear, the manager of the Moana Pacific Fisheries' crayfish shed at Totara North, was convicted for falsifying fish receipt dockets to correspond with the false amounts the two fishermen declared.
During the 2005/2006 crayfish season Goldie, the boat's skipper, and Sanderson, the crayfish quota permit holder, made 10 fishing trips in the vessel Saint Paul.
A Ministry of Fisheries investigation, which ended in July, discovered that they under-declared their crayfish catch by 600 to 700kg for the season. The men's actions were achieved with the cooperation of Frear.
As a result of the investigation Sanderson faced 21 charges under the Fisheries Act, Goldie faced 18 charges and Frear 18.
Last week the trio were sentenced in the Whangarei District Court after all three pleaded guilty to the charges.
Judge Thomas Everitt fined Sanderson a total of $15,750 with court costs of $780, Goldie a total of $6650 with $520 court costs and Frear $1100 with court costs of $650.
As a consequence of Sanderson and Goldie's offending the Saint Paul, which is worth about $190,000, was automatically forfeited to the Crown. The pair also lost equipment worth about $10,000, again forfeited to the Crown.
MFish investigation manager Mark Nicholson said the deliberate and serious offending displayed by the trio undermined the integrity of the fisheries quota management system.
He said the offending also affected the property rights of fellow crayfishers, many of whom would view this as theft of their collective property.
"It is extremely disappointing that these individuals were prepared to falsify statutory documents which are critical to ensure both the sustainability and overall management of our valuable rock lobster (crayfish) fishery," Mr Nicholson said.
"This conviction and penalty sends out a strong message to any persons involved in such activity that the Ministry of Fisheries views this type of offending as extremely serious and will take the necessary steps required to bring all persons found offending in this capacity before the courts."