Court outcome for Hawke’s Bay skipper
A Napier commercial fisher has been sentenced after failing to report part of his catch and dumping snapper at sea in an incident that later drew public attention on Westshore Beach.
Robert Bruce Wigmore, 34, appeared in the Hastings District Court on 2 December. The court handed down 3 months of community detention, along with 9 months of supervision. He must also complete education or counselling if directed by probation staff.
Wigmore faced six charges under the Fisheries Act following a Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) investigation. The case centred on two trips made in September last year.
Flatfish and snapper not reported
On one trip, Wigmore caught 162kg of flatfish but failed to report 31kg of that catch. He kept the unreported portion on board rather than landing it.
A later trip saw him catch 175kg of snapper, of which 84kg was not entered into his landing report. That same snapper was then dumped overboard while St Kathryn drifted offshore. The fish washed up on Westshore Beach, prompting a member of the public to alert authorities.
Fishery officers inspected the vessel soon after and found the unreported fish still on board.
MPI district manager Hawkes Bay Wairarapa, Mike Sutton, says public information played a key part in the case.
“We appreciate the call from the public about the fish washing up. It helped us work out which vessel had been operating in the area.”
Risks to fisheries management
Sutton says most commercial operators follow the rules but incidents like this put pressure on a system designed to safeguard shared fish stocks.
“The majority of commercial fishers land and record what they catch. If they go over quota, they pay a fee or obtain more quota to cover their catch. These rules have been in place for many years, and there is no excuse for ignoring them.”
He says failing to declare or deliberately dumping fish undermines the Quota Management System, which relies on accurate reporting to set catch levels.
“When there is clear evidence of offending, we take action. The rules only work if everyone plays their part.”
Further breaches found on board
Wigmore also did not have his fishing permit or certificate of registration on board when officers inspected the vessel. Both are basic requirements for any commercial skipper.
