Fisherman forfeits boat

A Waikato commercial fisherman has been ordered to forfeit his $28,000 boat to the Crown for selling fish for disposal on the black market.

Joseph Macedonski, operating from Port Waikato and the Firth of Thames, was convicted at Thames District Court of selling to an unlicensed fish receiver on three occasions between January and March 2004.

Macedonski was ordered to pay $10,520 in fines and costs. His vessel has been held by the Ministry of Fisheries for several months.

The court heard that 340kg of grey mullet and 320kg of kahawai had been sold to two fish dealers in Thames.

District compliance manager for the ministry, Brendon Mikkelsen, said the outcome should serve as a warning to operators disposing of fish outside of the Quota Management System.

In another case at the court, commercial fisherman Neville Peter Lang, based in the port of Coromandel, paid $6170 in fines and costs for omitting information in monthly returns and providing late returns.