Four accused of running blackmarket fishing ring

This modified dinghy is believed to have been used in the blackmarket ring.

A significant blackmarket fishing group has been uncovered in South Auckland, allegedly supplying dozens of households with thousands of illegally caught mullet.

Two men and two women were caught on Friday after calls from concerned members of the public led Ministry of Fisheries staff to the blackmarket operation.

The calls came from people who had witnessed the illegal gathering of the fish at Port Waikato and from people who had been offered the mullet in South Auckland.

Fisheries compliance manager Ian Bright said the four were observed by fisheries officers for some time as part of an undercover surveillance operation.

They were seen using a dinghy, especially modified for netting, to regularly catch large quantities of mullet.

The group would then go door to door, mostly around Mangere, selling the mullet - which cost about $20 for four to five fish, which Mr Bright said was a relatively standard price for mullet.

"We believe they were taking about 100 to 150 a trip and they have admitted that they were out three trips a week over several months," said Mr Bright.

The law says recreational fishermen can take 30 mullet a day but they are not allowed to onsell the fish.

Commercial fishermen can sell the fish but the group are not believed to have had such a licence.

They instead drove around Mangere selling their supplies to dozens of householders from the back of two vehicles.

"From what we observed they had a regular customer base of some 50 or 60 households, plus many more customers who were approached on a random basis."

Mr Bright said the Ministry of Fisheries was first informed of the blackmarket operation when people saw the group taking mullet from Port Waikato.

"They were concerned by the frequency and the dedication of the fishers.

"Then we got a couple of calls from members of the public who had actually been approached and had been offered fish for sale."

Mr Bright praised the residents who had refused to buy the fish and instead called the ministry to pass on vital information about what was happening.

"We are very grateful for that because that information is our lifeblood.

"Thanks to them we are able to stop these poachers and protect the resource for the rest of the community."

Mr Bright said the four, all in their 30s, were spoken to on Friday and charges are expected to be laid within a month.

Fisheries officers spent yesterday talking to customers and will gather more evidence about the blackmarket operation in the next few weeks.

Anyone with suspicions should contact their nearest ministry office or 0800 4 POACHER.