Shellfish poachers taking up to 20 times the legal limit

By AINSLEY THOMSON and NZPA

A crackdown on shellfish-gathering around the country has found people persistently breaking the law - some taking 20 times the legal limit.

Ministry of Fisheries officers have also faced an increasing amount of aggression from people with illegal catches.

On Duders Beach in South Auckland yesterday, fisheries officers found 90 per cent of those collecting shellfish were not complying with the catch limits.

One person had more then 1000 cockles - 20 times the legal limit.

District compliance manager (non-commercial) Matt Cowan said around 35 people were found breaching the limits. Most people received instant fines of $250 and $500, but the serious offenders received a court summons and could be fined up to $20,000.

Mr Cowan found one vanload of people parked in front of a sign explaining how many shellfish can be taken. The people had read the sign, but said they did not care - an attitude typical among those caught.

In the Bay of Plenty, two people have been arrested for obstructing fisheries officers.

In Opape in the Eastern Bay of Plenty, one woman became aggressive and spat at an officer when her catch was inspected.

She was found to have a legal amount of shellfish, but now faces obstruction charges.

At Ohope, near Whakatane, a group of four people were found with more than 2800 pipis - four times the legal limit. One of the men was charged with obstruction after he refused to give his name and address.

Before Christmas a fisheries officer was attacked by a man with an oar as three poachers in the Hauraki Gulf tried to protect their illegal haul of up to 100 undersized snapper.

Fisheries officers said they had found people taking too many shellfish or undersized ones.

Wellington district compliance manager Ross Thurston said an operation between Otaki and Wanganui after Christmas found people taking toheroa, which is prohibited. He also found people taking paua the size of a watchface to use as bait for surfcasting. The legal size is 125mm.

Ten per cent of amateur craypots off the Kaikoura coast had been found to be illegal.

Meanwhile, shellfish stocks are dwindling at three popular Hawkes Bay beaches.

Ministry surveillance officer Craig Petherick said overfishing meant it was now hard to get legal-sized paua at Waipataki Beach, Kairakau Beach and Mangakuri Beach.

Shellfish limits

Daily limit per person

Auckland and Coromandel

Cockle 50

Green-lipped mussel 25

Paua 10

Pipi 50

Scallops 20


Rest of NZ

Cockle 150

Green-lipped mussel 50

Paua 10

Pipi 150

Scallops 20