Bay of Plenty fishers are largely sticking to the rules and limits this summer, with the Ministry of Primary Industries applauding those schooling themselves before hitting the water.

The MPI fisheries compliance team has been out in force over the Christmas and New Year period, ensuring the message about catch limits and fish sizes is getting through via patrols and compliance checks.

MPI senior fisheries officer Gary McAneny. Photo: Bruce Barnard.

'I think, generally speaking, we are pretty satisfied that a lot of people take the trouble to find out what the rules are before they go out,” says MPI senior fisheries officer Gary McAneny.

'The ones that get into trouble are the ones that sort of go out on a whim and don't prepare. Preparation is nine-tenths of the job - we all know that.”

As a result of the thousands of checks MPI officers have undertaken there have been a range of warnings and $250 infringement notices issued, while others are facing prosecution spanning from the Coromandel to Eastern Bay of Plenty.

In the Bay of Plenty there is one prosecution pending for excess Kina and three in the Coromandel relating to undersized paua.

A further 15 infringement notices have been issued in the Coromandel in respect of shellfish - mainly paua.

Gary adds: 'Paua is quite big over that period because people will go on holiday and go swimming and have a play with paua and think ‘wow'. They don't know what the minimum size is.

'It's the size they usually run afoul of.”

Gary says the most pleasing aspect so far this summer is the compliance levels around the new snapper catch limits.

Gary McAneny. Photo: Bruce Barnard.

From April 1, 2014 snapper bag limits for recreational fishers were reduced from nine to seven per day, with the minimum size rising from 27- 30cm.

But he remains on edge given the snapper season is set to bite in the coming weeks, coinciding with warmer water temperatures bringing the change from the winter fishing for terakihi.

'That's when I think we will really have to start checking because at this time of the year you won't be taking excess snapper but you might be taking a few undersize,” he says.

People also appear to be taking more notice of the shellfish health warnings compared with previous years. But the existing health warnings about paralytic shellfish poisoning are not enforced by fisheries officers.

Last month the Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning warning issued for the Bay of Plenty was extended along the Coromandel Peninsula to the southern end of Whangamata beach.

The affected area now includes the entire coastline from Whakatane Heads in the Eastern Bay of Plenty, all the way along the coast to Waihi Beach, and up the eastern side of the Coromandel Peninsula to Opito Bay.

All harbours, estuaries and islands along this coastline are included in the warning.

Gary says: 'We took that pretty serious this year and have been handing out pamphlets and making people aware of the associated health warnings.”

Information of all limits and sizes, including closures and other rules, can be found on the MPI website at: www.mpi.govt.nz

Fishing rules pamphlets are available at MPI offices and at many fishing shops. Alternatively, text 9889 to have the NZ Fishing Rules App sent to your smart phone.

MPI encourages people to report any suspicious fishing activity to: 0800 4 POACHER (0800 476 224). All calls are confidential.