Taranaki Fishery Officers caught three pāua gatherers with 118 pāua on Wednesday night and another three gatherers last night [Thursday] with 338 pāua – all of it taken from a closed area.

All of these fishers are likely to be prosecuted before the court, says Fisheries New Zealand District Manager, Aaron Mendoza.

“We received a call on our 0800 4 POACHER line last night, reporting suspicious activity, including the registration of a vehicle. Our Fishery Officers responded and with the back-up of New Zealand Police, these gatherers were stopped in their vehicle after taking the pāua from the Rahotu area which is within the closure zone,” Mr Mendoza says.

“199 of these pāua were undersize. When people disregard the rules – they are stealing from everyone. This followed a catch the night before where 118 pāua were taken by three other people from the closed area near Opunake and 16 of these shellfish were undersize.”

The Western Taranaki closure area runs from Tapuae Stream, just south of New Plymouth, to Taungatara Stream, south of Opunake. The area is closed to taking all shellfish, including pāua. The closure is in place until December 2026.

“The area is closed for a reason – to rebuild shellfish stocks to ensure sustainable fisheries into the future. When we find people breaking the rules, we take action,” Mr Mendoza says.

“We’d remind people that outside closed areas the minimum daily size for pāua in the Taranaki area is 85mm with a daily limit of five per gatherer. Our message is simple – help protect the fishery for everyone by knowing where you can fish and where you cannot.”

If you’re unsure of the fishing rules the best way to find out is to download thefree NZ Fishing Rules App which you’ll have access to, even in areas where there’s no phone coverage.

We encourage people to report any suspected illegal activity through the Ministry for Primary Industries’ 0800 4 POACHER line (0800 47 62 24).

For more information please email: FisheriesNZ_media@mpi.govt.nz

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