KEY POINTS:
An Auckland couple's $70,000 Mercedes Benz has been forfeited after the wife was caught with more than 14 times the daily limit of cockles.
Miaolan Hu, 30, of One Tree Hill, was convicted in Manukau District Court after earlier pleading guilty to the charge of possessing more than three times the daily limit of cockles.
Hu was stopped by an honorary fishery officer carrying out a routine patrol at Cockle Bay, Howick, in January.
The bags of cockles were found in compartments under the second row of seats of the Mercedes.
They were concealed by small cloth trims that went between the floor and the seat, which had to be unhooked to see them.
The officer counted 1098 cockles in the vehicle.
Allowing for the other gatherers in the vehicle Hu was in possession of 748 cockles, or more than 14 times the daily limit of 50 cockles that a person may possess in the Auckland and Coromandel area.
Hu was also ordered to pay almost $1000 in fines.
Auckland district compliance manager Ian Bright said the fines imposed and the forfeiture of the car were a timely reminder to shell fish gatherers to obey the daily limits.
"The offending was aggravated by the fact that there is a sign at the entrance to Cockle Bay outlining the daily limits and the concealment of the excess fish.
"It is this type of greed that has led to a proposal to close Cockle Bay to shellfish harvesting on a seasonal basis," Mr Bright said.
"The result is also a testament to the hard work and dedication of our honorary fishery officer network who give their time freely to ensure the sustainability of our seafood resource."
- NZPA
