A former Invercargill commercial fisher who illegally sold seaweed online has been fined $50,000.
Ryan Campbell McManaway, 36, was sentenced in his absence at the Invercargill District Court on Friday on four charges under the Fisheries Act, following a successful prosecution by the Ministry for Primary Industries.
He was fined an additional $3000 on three charges of failing to comply with a directive to attend an interview with a fishery officer.
In November 2022, fishery officers discovered an online post advertising liquid seaweed fertiliser in 1000-litre containers for $500, and $20 for a 20-litre bucket.
A search warrant of a property found 14 of these containers of liquid seaweed fertiliser.
Analysis of the seaweed found it to be Macrocystis pyrifera, which can be used for fertiliser and in some food products.
"Mr McManaway was not a commercial fisher at the time. He had no legitimate right to harvest and sell this seaweed as a fertiliser," Garreth Jay, Fisheries New Zealand’s regional manager (South) said in a statement.
During their investigation, fishery officers also found an industrial mincer with six implements that had seaweed on them, along with various other pieces of seaweed at his property.
"Mr McManaway could’ve potentially earned several thousand dollars from this illegal operation.
"When we find evidence of people breaking the rules that are there to protect the sustainability of our fisheries resources and the livelihood of legitimate commercial operators, we will hold them to account," Mr Jay said.
Seaweeds are critical to marine and coastal environments, providing habitats and food for a wide range of marine organisms.
Any commercial harvest of seaweed is carefully managed through a permitting and reporting system.
— Allied Media
