Fishing crew caught with huge illegal haul of fish

A fishing crew with 45 times the legal daily limit of snapper has been caught by Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI) fishery officers during a routine boat inspection. The officers caught the five recreational fishers with 348 fish at Half Moon Bay boat ramp in East Auckland. ‘‘Most [317] were snapper, with a total weight of just under 200kg. Ninety-five of the snapper they had were undersize,’’ said Andre Espinoza, MPI’s west North Island regional manager fish compliance. He said the fishing crew will ‘‘likely’’ face prosecution and the vessel has been seized by MPI. The daily limit for catching snapper on the East Coast of Auckland in the Hauraki Gulf is seven per person with a minimum size of 30cm. ‘‘We work hard to protect fishing resources so that current and future generations can enjoy catching a feed of kaimoana,’’ Espinoza said.