12. CHRIS TREMAIN (National—Napier) Link to this
to the Minister of Fisheries
What recent changes to regulations have been made to address the issue of illegally harvested pāua?
Hon PHIL HEATLEY (Minister of Fisheries) Link to this
Changes to the amateur regulations will now make it illegal to hold more than two times the daily limit of pāua, or the equivalent in meat weight, and that includes in one’s freezer or in one’s international carry-on. This is just another tool for the Ministry of Fisheries to target those who traffick in illegally caught pāua.
A lot of support for this regulation has come through the submission process. Fisheries officers will not go looking through anyone’s freezer for no good reason. I need to make that very clear. I want to reassure our recreational fishers that if Ministry of Fisheries officers are knocking on their door and asking to look in their freezer, it is highly likely that they are the target of a sting operation.