An Auckland man has been fined almost $1000 for fishing in a marine reserve in Whangarei Harbour during a fishing contest.
Christopher Philip Ludolph, 28, from Browns Bay, appeared in the Whangarei District Court for sentencing after pleading guilty to taking marine life from a marine reserve and obstructing a ranger acting in the exercise of his duties.
Ludolph was taking part in the Beach and Boat fishing competition on January 17, this year, when he was seen fishing inside the Reotahi Marine Reserve. He was immediately disqualified from the fishing contest.
About 2pm that day two Department of Conservation (DoC) rangers and a skipper on a boat patrol of the reserve found Ludolph's vessel about 100m inside the reserve boundaries.
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