Tag Archives: (MPI)
Trawler captain dumped fish to save ship
A judge has stepped in to settle allegations of misreporting catch by a fishing company, after a trawler captain had to dump 30,000 kilograms of southern blue whiting to save his ship.Independent Fisheries Ltd pleaded guilty to two charges in the Christchurch District Court but the judge immediately discharged the company without conviction and declined to make any forfeiture order about the trawler. >click to read<10:37
Commercial fishing company becomes first to be banned in New Zealand
In what’s believed to be a first in New Zealand, a commercial company has been banned from fishing. The company run by the Hawke’s Bay D’Esposito family has copped a three-year ban and an $80,000 fine after failing to report more than 200 kilograms of crayfish. The Nimrod 1 is a Napier crayfishing vessel now implicated in fraud. The crew didn’t know, but the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) began watching them, and the crayfish they were catching for the Hawkes Bay Seafood’s Group, back in September 2014. >click to read<10:44
Potting for cod in a Marlborough Sounds marine reserve
A while back we talked to Tom, a ranger in Akaroa who was working with MPI and NIWA to survey the marine reserves on Banks Peninsula. The survey looked at blue cod numbers in the two marine reserves, with the study allowing DOC to look at the effect those reserves are having on the wider Banks Peninsula fishery.,,, As the boat reached its first stop, the expert skipper flicked on his depth sounder to locate the band of rocky reef and rubble around the island where the crew would lower the first pot. Video, click here to read the story 14:58
New Zealand – New digital fishing rules could cost thousands
All commercial fishing operators will have to invest thousands to install cameras and tracking devices on their boats, under new rules announced by the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI). The push towards electronic monitoring of the industry follows concerns about widespread illegal practices, including the dumping of fish and misreporting of catch. The rules will not only apply for large trawl vessel, but all boats – even small ones – that are registered as being commercial. The cost for the tracking systems, cameras and maintenance of the gear could cost as much as $20,000 per operator. The regulator also says where evidence of illegal activity is uncovered, it will be used for prosecutions. click here to read the story 08:16
