Fisherman fined for under-reporting

A commercial fisherman has been fined a total of $6000 for under-reporting his grey mullet catch.

Tane Zanders, 45, from Mangawhai, was fined $1500 on each of three counts laid under the Fisheries Act relating to false and misleading monthly harvest returns, which he admitted in the Whangarei District Court.

His $15,000 boat was forfeited to the Crown, which he will have to pay a further $1500 to redeem.

Two charges related to the taking of mullet from the Kaipara Harbour, the third to a catch in the Manukau Harbour.

According to the summary, Zanders caught 7117kg of grey mullet in September 2015, but submitted a monthly harvest return for 7071kg. The following month he declared 1800kg when he had landed 2160kg, and in November he declared 2809kg when he had landed 3280kg.

A total of 931kg had not been reported, which the Ministry for Primary Industries calculated as having benefited the defendant to the tune of $4139.

The court heard that Zanders had 34 previous fisheries-related convictions.

MPI spokesman Stephen Rudsdale said this sort of offending was very disappointing.

“The commercial fishing pressure on grey mullet in New Zealand’s upper North Island has increased recently, with catches approaching or even exceeding the total allowable commercial catch,” he said.

“Under-reporting artificially inflates a fisher’s catch entitlement, which not only provides financial gain for the fisher but impacts the sustainability of the fishery as well.”

Zanders’ offending was discovered when a Fishery officer ran discrepancy reports on his catches.

On three occasions the defendant was directed to amend his monthly grey mullet harvest returns, but did not do so until the Fishery officer finally directed him to attend an interview, where the anomalies were addressed.

Mr Rudsdale described underreporting 931kg as “pretty significant,” adding that timely and accurate reporting was the cornerstone of the quota management system.

“Under-reporting puts an already stressed fishery at risk, and undermines the MPI’s ability to accurately assess the stock,” he said.

Zanders risked being banned from fishing for three years if he re-offended.

PICTURE / FILE UNDER PRESSURE: Increasing pressure on the upper North Island grey mullet fishery is not eased by failing to accurately report commercial catches according to the MPI.