Photo by Christine O'Connor.
The men were stopped in Dunedin on Tuesday afternoon after they were seen by members of the public 75km further north.
Senior Sergeant Ian Temple said police received a call at 4.20pm from a fisheries officer, located a vehicle about 30 minutes later and seized the catch under the Fisheries Act.
A Ministry for Primary Industries spokeswoman said ordinary blackfoot paua must be at least 125mm long, and yellowfoot paua 80mm long.
The penalty was a $250 fine.
The law was required to ensure sustainability of the fishery.
