Sunday, February 9, 2025

MPI officers catch fishers with huge illegal haul at Karioitahi

Auckland Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) fishery officers had a busy weekend, catching two fishers with 211 kahawai on Saturday at Karioitahi beach, Port Waikato.

The daily bag limit for kahawai is 20 per person.

“The public are our eyes and ears and MPI is grateful to the person who provided solid information that led to us stopping these people and inspecting their catch when they returned to Auckland,” said MPI Regional manager fisheries compliance, Phil Tasker.

“The rules are there for a reason – to protect fishing resources to ensure there are enough fish in the water for generations to come.”

In a separate incident, on Sunday, MPI fishery officers caught two men fishing in the Hauraki Gulf with a haul of 117 undersize pāua, seven undersize snapper and one undersize packhorse lobster.

“Our fishery officers worked with our colleagues in the Auckland Police Maritime Unit on this matter. This was a lot of undersize fish, threatening the sustainability of our shared fishing resources. One of the men – who we’d consider a recidivist fisheries offender – was also arrested by Police for breach of his bail conditions,” said Mr Tasker.

All of the fishers involved in the incidents are likely to face prosecution before the courts.

“If you are unsure of the fishing rules the best way to find out is to download the NZ Fishing Rules App and protect our kaimoana for future generations,” Mr Tasker said.

NZ Fishing Rules App

MPI encourages people to report suspected illegal activity through the ministry’s 0800 4 POACHER number (0800 47 62 24).

Latest Articles