Kelly Gavin Scoles, 37, appeared via video link for sentencing in Kaikohe District Court on Friday, and was fined $15,000 as well as the value of his catch on the day he trawled the reserve, the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) said.
In May last year, as master of the fishing boat Winbill, Scoles “deployed a bottom trawl net about 1.6km outside the Kahurangi Marine Reserve… then towed the trawl through the entire length of the 16km reserve,” MPI said.
The Kahurangi Marine Reserve lies north of Karamea near the north west tip of the South Island, and covers about a 16km length north to south.
Scoles landed about 700kg of finfish, including gurnard, snapper, rig and john dory, which were valued at $1502, MPI said – an amount he was ordered to pay to the marine reserve in recognition of the damage.
Fisheries regional compliance manager Phil Tasker said commercial fishers must know the areas that are closed to fishing.
“We use GPS to monitor all commercial fishers in near real time to ensure they are fishing where they are legally able to.
“Our expectation is that commercial fishers know where they’re fishing and what areas are closed to fishing, such as marine reserves.”
Between March and May 2024, Scoles also did not submit 27 of 47 catch reports on time, MPI said.
Timely filing of catch and landing reports is “an essential requirement of the Quota Management System and to keeping our shared fisheries sustainable into the future,” Tasker said.
In 2012, NZ Herald reported Scoles was fined $25,000 in the North Shore District Court] for dumping fish, after five tones of snapper were found caught in a discarded fishing net that was tracked back to him from a label on it.
Fisheries said anyone suspected of illegal fishing activity could be reported on 0800 476 224.
