KEY POINTS:
Anglers are furious after being fined for keeping undersized fish - even though they checked their catch using official Ministry of Fisheries measuring guides.
Now, embarrassed officials have admitted that some of the Ministry of Fisheries printed stick-on rulers, embossed with the slogan, "Size Does Count" are faulty although it is not known how many have inaccuracies.
Thousands of fishermen are believed to have stuck the adhesive measures to their boats and are being warned to check them against a ruler.
Northland charter skipper Captain Bucko (who does not want to reveal his real name) said he was "shocked and disappointed" after being fined $250 for keeping two undersized kingfish even though he "studiously" measured his clients' catch against rulers provided by the ministry and found them to be of legal size.
However, when checked by local honorary ranger Harry Mahanga, the fish - which appeared to have been 5mm and 15mm above the required 75cm minimum size - were found to be 5mm and 15mm under.
Bucko's problem was that his sticker was out by 20mm.
Hamilton angler Mike Lewis recently found himself in an identical position when he was caught with a couple of undersized snapper measured against the ministry ruler, handed out at a boat show as a public relations exercise.
Mr Lewis was originally issued with a warning notice but that was rescinded when he proved his sticker was also out by at least 9mm for snapper and 20mm overall.
It is estimated there are several hundred thousand of the popular rulers in circulation.
But Neville Buckley, the ministry's manager for non-commercial fishing, said he was aware of just four complaints about the rulers' inaccuracy.
"Of those, there were two where the fish measured were actually smaller than the claimed discrepancy of the ruler," he said.
Mr Lewis's sticker, however, has left both the ministry and the printers who manufactured it baffled.
"[The printers] are at a loss to explain that one. Clearly it is 2cm out. There is no disputing that and clearly we are not going to be prosecuting anybody for that. We are on record as saying we are prepared to live or die by these measures."
But his assurances were of little consolation for Captain Bucko.
Lance Stobie, from the ministry's Whangarei office that is dealing with Bucko's case, said the rulers should only ever be used as a guide and anglers should always check their catch using a proper measure.
