The Ministry of Fisheries (MFish) has seized a Korean fishing vessel in Dunedin, the second in two weeks.
Investigation manager Mike Green said MFish seized the Melilla 201 in Dunedin on Tuesday.
On December 7 MFish boarded and subsequently seized another Korean fishing vessel, the Melilla 203, also
at the port of Dunedin.
Both vessels are fishing in New Zealand waters under charter to Trans Pacific Fishing Ltd, a Tauranga based New Zealand fishing company.
The vessels are owned by Dae Hyun Agriculture & Fisheries Co Ltd based in Korea and have been fishing in New Zealand waters for a number of years.
The investigation concerns misreporting catch from one fishing area to another, a practice commonly known in the fishing industry as "trucking", Mr Green said.
The main species involved is ling with the alleged offending potentially involving hundreds of tonnes of fish.
"This investigation is making steady progress but it is clear that further analysis from the many documents involved will be required to determine the full extent of the alleged offending," Mr Green said.
"The penalties for this type of offending can be heavy but unfortunately it doesn't seem to deter some who obviously weigh up the financial benefits to be gained by their actions and decide to take that risk."
- NZPA
