The skipper of a boat owned by a Whakatane fishing charter operator has been fined $1350 for fishing in a marine reserve.
Steven Gray is the skipper of Cova Rose, owned by Whakatane-based Enchanter Fishing Charters, and was convicted and fined in the Whangarei District Court last month.
Steven Gray was caught with two snapper on board while in the Poor Knights Marine Reserve on March 10.
On top of the fine, fishing equipment has already been forfeited after Gray was snapped fishing inside the Poor Knights Islands Marine Reserve.
Department of Conservation were carrying out underwater species monitoring when staff boarded the Cova Rosa and found two large snapper – 66cm and 70cm in length.
Gary had stopped overnight at the Poor Knights on March 10 while taking the vessel from the Bay of Plenty to Mangonui, where it is often chartered.
Whangarei marine biologist and conservationist Vince Kerr is surprised at the soft penalty Gray has received for fishing in the reserve.
He says the whole point of a court case is to act as a deterrent.
He feels the penalty does not do that.
The charge of taking from a marine reserve (Marine Reserve Act 1971) carries a maximum penalty of a $10,000 fine and/or three months imprisonment. A DoC spokeswoman said Gray's early guilty plea stood him in good stead.
Unlike with Ministry of Primary Industries' fisheries infringements, a vessel cannot be seized and forfeited for the charge he faced. A more serious charge of taking from a marine reserve for commercial purposes carries a maximum $250,000 fine, and/or three months imprisonment and can include forfeiture of a vessel.
4 comments
A long established charter operation
Posted on 06-06-2015 09:17 | By How about this view!
That should know better. A paltry fine and the removal of fishing equipment (Maybe a few rods and reels, that will likely be replaced as a business expense) doesn't seem to be substantial enough. If drivers transgress substantially, there is the real risk of having your vehicle seized at the side of the road and impounded at your expense. Why not a similar forfeiture for ALL boat owners. Six months off the water for a professional operator (Local AND international) caught abusing our inshore fishery, would really send the message out.
wow
Posted on 06-06-2015 09:39 | By Capt_Kaveman
what sad day, 2 snapper, and commercial guys take how many tonnes and how much undersize?? i turn my head in shame to see such small snapper on the shelves at supermarkets what a joke
Public perception
Posted on 06-06-2015 11:25 | By yikes61
This is a great example of a Govt dept being seen to be doing something when in reality, the legal tools available to really hit offenders of environmental offences are put on the top shelf. Its not the fact that only 2 fish were taken, its the implications of the whole picture. Marine reserves are protected areas for a reason and the courts must take a firmer approach. Law change to enable the confiscation of any boat found fishing within the boundaries of a marine reserve. The Govt should also ban commercial fishing within 12 miles of the coastline and the use of set nets. The Doc spokeswoman should also refrain from fluffy PR comments, she works for a conservation group and should call a S__T a S__T!
More facts?
Posted on 10-06-2015 04:08 | By GreertonBoy
Was he fishing commercially and in the process of catching more fish in the reserve? Or did he just stop at the island and caught a couple of fish for dinner? If commercially fishing, he needs a kick up the butt, but if he just wanted some dinner, I think it would be mean to make him motor out of the reserve to catch dinner, then return. To me it depends on the circumstances and motive as to the punishment.
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