Boatie’s action risked ‘catastrophe’

A man has been fined $3000 for anchoring his boat in a protected area of Cook Strait, which could have resulted in ‘‘catastrophic’’ consequences for the country.

Michael Wade WrattLindstrom, 31, of Blenheim, appeared in the Blenheim District Court for sentencing on Tuesday, after he admitted anchoring in the Cook Strait Cable Protection Zone.

Cables in the zone belonging to Transpower can provide up to 40 per cent of the North Island’s electricity, and a fibre optic cable in the zone provides communications for Telecom and Telstra Clear.

Activities such as fishing and anchoring are restricted in the zone, with breaches potentially resulting in fines of up to $250,000.

Judge Tony Zohrab said WrattLindstrom would have caused ‘‘significant implications’’ for the country if he had damaged the cables with his anchor.

The likely cost of repairing the cables if they were damaged would be between $45 million and $60m.

Wratt-Lindstrom was seen inside the zone at Craggy Point near Port Underwood on February 15 by officers on a patrol boat. He anchored his boat inside the zone while three divers went crayfishing. When spoken to, Wratt-Lindstrom said he thought he could get away with it, Zohrab said.

He later said he did not mean he thought he would not get caught, but that he thought he would not damage the cables because it was shallow and he could see the bottom.

Wratt-Lindstrom said he knew he could dive in the area but he was not sure if he could put the anchor down.

It was windy and he did not want his boat to get blown on to the rocks, he said.

It was up to people to read the signage in place advising them of the zone, and to be aware of where it was and how to comply with the rules, Zohrab said.

‘‘It’s not an excuse to say ‘I really needed to drop the anchor otherwise we wouldn’t be able to dive’ . . . you [need to] go and find an area where you’re able to do that.

‘‘Any damage at all to the cable is costly and potentially catastrophic to the country,’’ he said.

The judge took into account Wratt-Lindstrom’s remorse, clear history and guilty plea in sentencing, and fined him $3000.

Another man, Colin Frederick Cooper, was fined $4000 in 2013 for anchoring and diving inside the zone after being formally warned off doing so.

A patrol boat monitors the area around the clock, while a helicopter also patrols the zone.

The zone is seven kilometres wide, and runs through Fighting Bay on the South Island, and Oteranga Bay on the south coast of Wellington.