A group of people were caught illegally fishing within the Goat Island Marine Reserve on December 29, 2024. Video / Supplied
The Department of Conservation is investigating two boats allegedly illegally fishing at Auckland’s Goat Island Marine Reserve, caught on the same day.
The second boat was spotted by a tour guide, who revealed what unfolded when they confronted the group.
It’s illegal to take marine life from a marine reserve, with a maximum punishment of three months’ jail and a $10,000 fine.
A second boat has allegedly been caught illegally fishing at one of Auckland’s most popular marine reserves, on the same day another boat was sprung by ocean swimmers.
The Department of Conservation is investigating after the swimmers said they came upon a boatload of people fishing at Goat Island Marine Reserve on December 29, and another boat was spotted with lines in the water that same afternoon.
It’s illegal to take marine life from a marine reserve, with a maximum punishment of three months’ jail and a $10,000 fine, according to DoC. Goat Island is New Zealand’s oldest marine reserve.
DoC’s marine district operations manager Kirsty Prior said they were investigating the two reports of poaching in protected waters.
Goat Island Glass Boats said they came across the group illegally fishing from the protected sea area on the last Sunday of 2024, capturing the moment on video.
A manager, who asked that her name not be used, told the Herald the boat had five fishing lines out.
A group of people were caught illegally fishing within the Goat Island Marine Reserve, December 29. Photo / Supplied
“We’re on our cruise with a boat full of tourists, we came across a boat that was anchored, I told the crew to check if they were fishing, and sure enough as we got closer that’s what they were doing,” she said.
“I went up onto the bow, told them to bring their lines in, and one of them asked us ‘is this a marine reserve?’,” she said.
“Reserved areas are on your GPS, they tell you where you can’t fish, and that boat definitely looked like it would have a GPS on it.”
She went on to explain to the anglers that they were in a protected area and that they could face prison if they were caught, “just to freak them out a bit”.
Leigh Swimmers' members spotted people inside the marine reserve at Goat Island near Leigh in north Auckland last Sunday. Photo / via video
Goat Island Marine Reserve is an Auckland success Auckland story, helping fish life and plants to regenerate over the last 35 years. Photo / Jay Farnworth
The fishermen reeled in their lines, but as they did one of them reeled in a fish, according to the manager.
“I yelled out to them to ‘throw it back’, and then the whole boat started chanting it,” she said.
With a boatload of tourists chanting at the group, the alleged poachers put the fish back in the water, she said.
“The whole boat cheered once they threw it back,” she said.
The tour guide said it was not the first time they have spotted poaching in the area.
“We’ve reported four incidents to DoC since November ... I wanted to get the awareness out so that we protect these fish for generations to come.”
She said boat owners must know where they can and cannot fish.
“To be honest people should know, if they’ve got a boat, they should be knowledgeable,” she said.
Leigh Swimmers' members spotted people inside the marine reserve at Goat Island near Leigh in north Auckland last Sunday. The Department of Conservation is now investigating. 3 January 2025. Photo screengrab from supplied video
Hundreds of thousands of visitors make their way to the 556-hectare marine reserve’s crystal clear waters each year, where they can see giant snapper and other prolific species left to flourish free from human predation.
Poaching in a marine reserve could take many forms, including rod or net fishing, or when diving or snorkelling.
Marine conservation group, Te Kohuroa Rewilding Initiative, is calling for better protection for the “jewel of the Tikapa Moana/Hauraki Gulf”, after the fishing.
The group is working to restore the ecosystem at Matheson Bay, just a stone’s throw from Goat Island. They say despite perceived “spill-over effects” of an abundance of life from the marine reserve, fish populations at Te Kohuroa/Matheson Bay have continued to plummet because of overfishing.
Local freediver, Frances Dickinson, who volunteers with the project, said the community was working hard to regenerate the vulnerable and pressured parts of the coastline.
“It’s shocking to hear about poaching incidents happening within the marine reserve in plain sight, especially in peak visitor season when there should be more monitoring and protection in place,” she said.
