<\/p>\n
\nThe coastline near Kahurangi Marine Reserve.
\nPhoto: Supplied\/ Wikipedia – ‘Pseudopanax’\n<\/p>\n
A commercial fisherman caught out trawling an isolated marine reserve at the top of the South Island, and not submitting catch reports on time, has been fined.<\/p>\n
Kelly Gavin Scoles, 37, appeared via video link for sentencing in Kaikohe District Court on Friday, and was fined $15,000 as well as the value of his catch on the day he trawled the reserve, the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) said.<\/p>\n
In May last year, as master of the fishing boat Winbill, Scoles “deployed a bottom trawl net about 1.6km outside the Kahurangi Marine Reserve… then towed the trawl through the entire length of the 16km reserve,” MPI said.<\/p>\n
The Kahurangi Marine Reserve lies north of Karamea near the north west tip of the South Island, and covers about a 16km length north to south.<\/p>\n
Scoles landed about 700kg of finfish, including gurnard, snapper, rig and john dory, which were valued at $1502, MPI said – an amount he was ordered to pay to the marine reserve in recognition of the damage.<\/p>\n
Fisheries regional compliance manager Phil Tasker said commercial fishers must know the areas that are closed to fishing.<\/p>\n
“We use GPS to monitor all commercial fishers in near real time to ensure they are fishing where they are legally able to.<\/p>\n
“Our expectation is that commercial fishers know where they’re fishing and what areas are closed to fishing, such as marine reserves.”<\/p>\n
Between March and May 2024, Scoles also did not submit 27 of 47 catch reports on time, MPI said.<\/p>\n
Timely filing of catch and landing reports is “an essential requirement of the Quota Management System and to keeping our shared fisheries sustainable into the future,” Tasker said.<\/p>\n
In 2012, NZ Herald reported Scoles was fined $25,000 in the North Shore District Court] for dumping fish, after five tones of snapper were found caught in a discarded fishing net that was tracked back to him from a label on it.<\/p>\n
Fisheries said anyone suspected of illegal fishing activity could be reported on 0800 476 224.<\/p>\n