Ten people have been caught taking excess and undersized paua from Coromandel and Waikato coastlines in a joint operation by the Ministry of Fisheries.

District compliance manager for the Bay of Plenty/ Waikato/ Coromandel Brendon Mikkelsen says fishery officers carried out targeted patrols and surveillance in the Raglan, Port Waikato, and East Coast Coromandel areas during three days as part of operation Te Uru.

Ten people have been caught poaching paua from Coromandel and Waikato beaches.

The areas patrolled have been identified as areas that are at risk of paua poaching on extreme low tides.

Brendon says two of the ten people apprehended will be facing charges for taking and possessing undersize and excess paua.

They will also face forfeiture of property used to commit the offence including dive gear and vehicles.

'This should serve as a reminder to those considering poaching shellfish stocks in remote coastal areas that they will be caught,” says Brendon.

He says members of the public who see any unlawful activity, including suspected poaching and / or offering seafood for sale on the black-market are urged to phone 0800 4 POACHER (0800 4 76224) in confidence.

'The assistance of the public by reporting suspicious or illegal activity to fishery officers is a key element in protecting the fishery and ensures its sustainability for future generations.”

People can also text ‘app' to 9889 to download the New Zealand fishing rules smartphone app. Or text the name of the species you are fishing for (e.g. crayfish, paua) to 9889 and receive the size and limit number by return text.