A Southland man who fisheries officers say was found with more and smaller paua than allowed by fishery regulations is likely to face prosecution.
The man and two companions were travelling from Bluff to Invercargill when they were stopped by Southland fishery officers.
They produced a small number of paua, but a search of their vehicle revealed an additional 75 shucked (shelled) paua.
The daily limit for each person gathering shellfish is 10.
One of the men claimed responsibility for taking the excess paua.
Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) Southland compliance manager Reece Murphy said it was a real shame when people disregarded fishing rules.
"Taking undersize seafood is also damaging to fish stocks. In this particular case, later examination of the shucked paua determined that many would have come from undersized shells."
The minimum legal size for paua is 125mm in shell length.
Otago district compliance manager Murray Pridham encouraged recreational fishermen to familiarise themselves with fisheries' rules regarding bag limits and size limits.
"It is important to comply with these rules, as they help protect and preserve our fish stocks."
Anyone caught taking or possessing excess or undersized fish could expect, as a minimum, to be issued with an infringement notice which could range from $250 to $500, depending on the level of offending. Serious breaches could attract prosecution.
