Fishing boat’s forfeiture ordered

Press, 6 March 1985, Page 4

Fishing boat’s forfeiture ordered

Nelson reporter The father of a fisherman who took 233 undersized snapper has had his boat and equipment seized by the Crown after the son was convicted in the District Court at Nelson yesterday. Mark William Roach, of Nelson, pleaded guilty to a charge of taking 233 undersized snapper — less than 25cm long — on or about November 19.

Judge Kearney fined him $lOOO.

Mrs J. Daniell-Smith, prosecuting for the Ministry of Fisheries, said a fishery officer was inspecting a chiller at a fish processing factory in Nelson on November 19 when he came upon the undersized

snapper. Thirty cases of snapper had been landed over two days and a further 11 cases on the third day. Of the 30 cases, only 10 had not been processed and the undersized fish in these cases filled the eqivalent of 14 cases. There were another 14 cases of undersized fish in the second landing, she said.

Mr Roach had been interviewed and accepted that the fish were undersized, said Mrs Daniell-Smith.

The maximum penalty under the act was a $5OOO fine and automatic seizing of the boat and gear. However, the boat owner had the right of appeal to the Minister on the seizing, she said.

Mr W. Rainey said the defendant was working the boat, which belonged to his father, with a new crew. Any fine imposed would pale into insignificance compared with the value of the forfeited boat and gear.

The difference in the measurements were minimal. he said. The smallest fish measured was just ever 23cm, about lin below the limit The fish had bees in a blast freezer for three days and it was quite likely they would have been dehydrated. It was later learned that the vessel concerned was the Starfish, a wooden trawler of about 14 metres, owned by Mr Graham Philip Roach.