Fisheries officer attacked in poaching search

By ANNE BESTON


A fisheries officer was attacked by a man with an oar as three poachers in the Hauraki Gulf tried to protect their illegal haul of up to 100 undersized snapper.

Ministry of Fisheries Auckland district commander Ian Bright said the officer was not hurt in the incident because staff "backed off" when things turned nasty.

But the lengths to which illegal fishers were prepared to go to get away with breaking the law was worrying.

"The stakes are pretty high and you have to wonder why these people would risk their boat and a hefty fine for a few fish," he said.

"We have noticed a trend of more and more people wanting to argue the toss, to hide fish and to take excess fish.

"There is an element that is clearly in it for financial gain."

The latest incident, last Thursday, also reinforces concerns raised by fisheries officers over the past couple of years about the potential violence they face on the job.

Around 8pm four fisheries officers in a patrol boat saw three men in a 5m runabout off Pakatoa Island, in the Tamaki Strait, off the southern coast of Waiheke Island.

Two officers approached the runabout in an inflatable.

The fishermen showed a legal catch of nine snapper each at or above the legal size - 27cm in length.

But when one of the officers noticed a duffle bag in the men's boat and asked to inspect it, the fishermen, thought to be Pacific Islanders, "suddenly had language difficulties", said Mr Bright.

When the officer insisted, one of the fishermen tried to throw the bag overboard. When the officer intervened, a second man came at him with an oar.

"One of our men yelled a warning and at that point we backed off," said Mr Bright.

The bag spilled its contents, estimated at up to 100 undersized snapper.

The three men fled the scene. Fisheries staff tracked their boat by radar to Maraetai on the east coast, where police were waiting.

The men were arrested.

One faces a charge of obstructing a fisheries officer, which carries a fine of up to $250,000.

Other charges include taking excess fish which carries a fine of up to $10,000.

Last month a new ministry "district compliance manager" position was created for Auckland in an effort by the ministry to crack down on black-market activity around Auckland's coast.

The ministry has also bought new surveillance equipment so that poachers can be observed from a distance.