There are always gripes and groans on perceived over fishing by commercial boys. Well how's this for a couple of amateur guys, each caught with ten times their limit. This crime, with the standard excuse of customary rights, are all too commonplace, but look at the penalty: they each take ten times the limit which carries a maximum fine of $250,000.00, the sentence: 250 hours community service.
Tends to make the whole business of responsibility for the fishery a complete joke.
Taken from 'Hawke's Bay Today' ... Thursday 18/02/2016.
A Napier man has pleaded guilty to taking more than 20 times the legal limit of paua, with all but one of them being undersized.
Karaitiana James Lee Nissen, 31, appeared before Judge Geoff Rea at Napier District court yesterday and admitted taking 266 paua from Waipatiki Beach in March last year.
He was also charged for 265 of those paua being undersized.
Judge Rea said this was a "relatively serious amount of paua and must be getting close to commercial quantities".
He sentenced Nissen to 250 hours of community work for each of the charges, to run concurrently. The maximum penalty for this type of offending is a $250,000 fine.
Sad that people even try to get away with this. Jail time or even banned from the sea. Something to deter them from further infringements.Take less, leave more...tomorrow is another day
Amateur at playing the system. I he'd had the correct forms he wouldn't be in trouble at all. Hence the low punishment. The Treaty of Waitangi ensures that, whether you like it or not. If you don't like it go and find your Hapu and Iwi and you can do the same. Commercial fishing have got away with worse crimes. Neither are excusable, but thats the 'world class fisheries' regime New Zealand operates under.
My personal view is irrelevant. I'm pretty sure with customary title, they can take what they like as long as the purpose is for a hui, tangi or similar. If its within the law then it must be ok! The law is the law!
I have just been writing about this and said that the approach by permit holders and those issuing them is amusing. They shift the boundaries to suit what they want not what is good for the fisheries. How long can they keep allowing the take of undersized fish and shellfish? Oh thats right, only until there are none left.The snapper don't know where the car park is! Sometimes it is better to travel than to arrive.
on 18/2/2016, 4:22 pm