Govt finds $11m to fight poachers

Surveillance officer Rod McNamee with seized paua which is thought to have been destined for overseas black markets. Picture / Herald file

The Government says it will create a special tactics team for covert operations with some of the $11.6 million over four years it is allocating in the Budget to crack down on poachers and black market fishing operations.

Fisheries Minister David Benson-Pope said $2.9 million of operational funding in the coming year would go to create the special tactics team.

It would employ up to 18 staff in 2005/06 with provision for another four staff the following year.

Capital funding of $375,000 would be used to buy up to five vehicles and specialist surveillance equipment.

"Paua and rock lobster stocks are under severe threat from poaching in many areas," Mr Benson-Pope said.

"Organised crime is increasingly involved and enforcement operations need to be increasingly sophisticated to track and successfully prosecute poachers."

With the extra money, the Ministry of Fisheries would be capable of executing enforcement operations on a much wider scale than was presently possible.

Mr Benson-Pope said $24 million a year was spent on fisheries enforcement.

He said there would be a new multi-agency approach to target black market fishing and poaching.

As well as the special tactics team and the increase in ministry analytical and investigative staff, a dog programme involving the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry would be trialled and Customs and Aviation Security Service (AVSEC) staff would be trained in identifying the handling of illegal fish products.

The National Union of Public Employees (Nupe) said the announcement of $2.9 million was a small step in the right direction in fighting the organised crime gangs pillaging New Zealand fisheries.

Last year, the Government was proposing to cut large numbers of frontline fisheries officers, said Nupe organiser Martin Cooney.

Those cuts were supposed to finance the special tactics team but pressure from local communities had defeated that proposal.

Fewer than 100 fisheries officers are policing commercial, customary, amateur and poaching/black market fishing. Nupe believed there should be twice as many frontline officers.

- NZPA