Paua champions feeding poachers

The Ahipara Komiti Takutaimoana has received good and bad news about its efforts to restore paua beds at Tauroa (Reef Point), west of Ahipara.

The good news was the finding and subsequent positive identification of some paua from the re-seeding done there in 2011. They were in good condition and had apparently done well, growing to about 95mm, still below breeding size and well short of the legal size of 125mm.

The bad news was that those paua were found amongst 150 other undersized specimens dumped by a local poacher trying to evade Fisheries inspectors. They, and another 100 undersized specimens dumped by another poacher, were returned to the water.

Komiti member Laurie Austen, of Waimanoni, said the poaching showed blatant disregard for the efforts of the komiti, schools and the public. All had worked hard to replenish the rapidly depleting stocks of paua at Tauroa.

"

It's ridiculous. We've been reseeding since 2011, but we'd been working on the project for at least two years before that. A lot of people have dedicated a lot of time to this.

Laurie Austen

," he said.

Ignorance of the Tauroa rahui was no excuse because the paua were well undersize, so should not have been taken in any case.

Mr Austen said the minimum size was not a randomly selected figure, but was designed to allow paua to get to a size at which they would hopefully be able to reproduce before being taken.

Ministry of Primary Industries and honorary inspectors had reported a huge increase in the number of undersize paua they were seeing among catches, many of them enabled and legitimised by customary permits.

Breaching of the Fisheries Act can result in maximum fines of $250,000, and/or up to five years' imprisonment plus forfeiture of property such as boats, vehicles and gear used during the offending. Anyone with knowledge of offending is encouraged to contact (0800) POACHER or the police.