Former Commercial Fisher Fined $50,000 For Selling Seaweed Illegally

A former commercial fisher who illegally sold seaweed online, has been fined $50,000.

Seaweeds are critical to marine and coastal environments, providing habitats and food for a wide range of marine organisms. Any commercial harvest of seaweed is carefully managed through a permitting and reporting system.

Ryan Campbell McManaway (36) was sentenced in his absence at the Invercargill District Court on Friday (September 26) on four charges under the Fisheries Act, following a successful prosecution by the Ministry for Primary Industries.

He was fined an additional $3,000 on three charges of failing to comply with a directive to attend an interview with a Fishery Officer.

In November 2022, Fishery Officers discovered an online post advertising liquid seaweed fertiliser in 1,000-litre containers for $500, and $20 for a 20-litre bucket. A search warrant of a property found 14 of these containers of liquid seaweed fertiliser.

Analysis of the seaweed found it to be Macrocystis pyrifera, which can be used for fertiliser and in some food products.

“Mr McManaway was not a commercial fisher at the time. He had no legitimate right to harvest and sell this seaweed as a fertiliser,” says Garreth Jay, Fisheries New Zealand’s Regional Manager (South).

During their investigation, Fishery Officers also found an industrial mincer with six implements that had seaweed on them, along with various other pieces of seaweed at his property.

“Mr McManaway could’ve potentially earned several thousand dollars from this illegal operation. When we find evidence of people breaking the rules that are there to protect the sustainability of our fisheries resources and the livelihood of legitimate commercial operators, we will hold them to account,” Mr Jay says.

People are encouraged to do their part in protecting our fisheries by reporting any suspicious fishing to 0800 4 POACHER (0800 47 62 24) or poacher@mpi.govt.nz.

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