The fishing vessel had nets set in Preservation Inlet. Photo: RNZ / Alison Ballance
A Southland fishing company and its skipper have been fined a total of $52,000 and the skipper banned from paua fishing for three years, for misreporting catch and using too many nets.
Cando Fishing Limited and Campbell David McManaway were sentenced in the Invercargill District Court on Thursday on multiple charges under the Fisheries Act. They had earlier pleaded guilty following a prosecution by Ministry for Primary Industries.
McManaway, the sole director of the company, was skippering fishing vessel San Nicholas in February 2020. He had 32 nets each measuring 45m set in and around Otago Retreat and Steep-to Island in Preservation Inlet in Southern Fiordland.
The length of commercial set nets is limited to 1000m, and McManaway had 1440m set.
McManaway told MPI he was unaware of the set net restriction and falsely reported his nets as being only 60m long.
During a later interview with MPI, McManaway said he likely set more than 2500m at any one time during the past decade beause he didn't know the rule.
MPI regional manager fisheries compliance Garreth Jay said Cando Fishing Limited had held a fishing permit since 2005.
"We'd expect this rule should be known to all commercial fishers who operate in this area.
"The rules are there to protect the resource and keep it sustainable. We understand that Mr McManaway was not the regular skipper of the San Nicholas, but not being aware of this has consequences."
Other fishery offenses include inaccurate catch reports such as reporting butterfish and moki but not species such as blue cod, crayfish, tarakihi, trumpeter, seven-gilled shark, banded wrasse and Antarctic rock cod. Some of this fish was sold for over $5,200.00.
The company was fined $40,000, while McManaway was fined $12,000 and banned from paua fishing for three years.
The San Nicholas and with 32 set nets have been forfeited to the Crown.