A man is facing an assault charge following a collision between two boats off Tokomaru Bay on the East Coast.
Police in Gisborne say the 55-year-old was arrested on Friday and released on bail.
He will appear in the Gisborne District Court on Wednesday charged with assault with a weapon, namely a boat.
The Ministry of Fisheries says two of its officers were inspecting crayfish pots when their boat was hit twice by a commercial fishing vessel on Thursday.
National operations manager Ross Thurston says the officers were unhurt and their boat was not damaged.