A Bay of Plenty woman has been sentenced to 75 hours community work for illegally selling minced paua and kina on the black market.
June Faulkner pleaded guilty in the Whakatane District Court on Wednesday of one charge under the Fisheries Act of illegally selling 16kg of minced paua and three litres of kina roe.
A woman has been convicted of illegally selling minced paua. File photo.
The Ministry for Primary Industries is applauding the sentence.
MPI district compliance manager Brendon Mikkelsen says Faulkner is one of eight defendants charged with serious offences relating to poaching and black market sales of paua and kina in the Bay of Plenty.
The ring is alleged to have poached some 625kgs of paua from the Motiti Island coast line between October 2014 and November 2015 – more than 30 percent of the total allowable commercial catch in the upper North Island PAU1 fishery area.
MPI laid charges against Faulkner after recorded text conversations showed she was involved in the sale of paua and kina.
'We're happy with the decision of the court and expect to see harsher sentences for the other defendants who are facing more serious charges for larger volume black market sales,” says Brendon.
'MPI treats poaching and black market sales very seriously. The culprits don't just rob non-commercial and commercial fishers, but all New Zealanders.”
MPI encourages people to report any suspicious fishing activity to 0800 4 POACHER (0800 476 224). All calls are confidential.
4 comments
Serious crime
Posted on 19-09-2016 11:16 | By Gigilo
People who engage in these type of activities, as well as convictions, fines, confiscation of property, should have their photographs made public along with their names. So us law abiding citizens can recognize the criminals and alert the authorities.
paua
Posted on 19-09-2016 14:17 | By dumbkof2
what a paltry fine should have been $10000 12 jail and all house and cars taken and crushedthen these low lives might learn
Shameless
Posted on 19-09-2016 14:43 | By peecee09
What a feeble sentence. She and her criminal friends poached almost half a tonne of Paua !! They should all do time for this. Let's broadcast their names far and wide.
Minib
Posted on 19-09-2016 17:32 | By Minib
What is the matter with the magistrates when they give a slap over the hand with wet bus ticket for these serious offences.Bring back the stocks and put in the Red Square and shame these people I'm disgusted.
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