Fiordland Cruises Limited was fined $60,000 and sentenced on one charge under the Fisheries Act in the Invercargill District Court, following a successful prosecution by the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI).
The company did not have to forfeit its vessel, Southern Secret, if it paid a redemption fee of $47,000.
Fisheries New Zealand compliance regional manager south Garreth Jay said MPI received several complaints about charter vessel operators working in the Fiordland Marine Area, including the Southern Secret.
“Allegations suggested seafood meals were being used to encourage paying passengers to take part in charter trips. Other concerns included questions about who was gathering the seafood – the charter operators or the paying guests.
“We provided all charter operators, including Fiordland Cruises Limited, with clear information on the rules – including that only a passenger catching fish recreationally can have it served to them aboard a charter vessel, and we expect those rules to be followed.”
MPI’s investigation found that between January and October 2023, Fiordland Cruises Limited ran 162 amateur fishing charters, during which 1630 crayfish were taken and served to paying guests on board for lunch, Jay said.
He said the crayfish would have cost between $239,610 and $244,500 on the domestic market, based on a retail value of $147-$150kg.
“When we find evidence of fish being taken and used outside of the quota management system (QMS) for commercial purposes – we take action. The QMS ensures the sustainability of fishing activity and economic prosperity of fishery resources and legitimate commercial operators.”
He said that as part of the investigation, Fisheries officers boarded the Southern Secret and found that passengers who had not been fishing had been served crayfish for lunch.
He said guests reported that they had not taken part in catching or taking the crayfish and that they had seen the cray pots being cleared by the crew.
“Furthermore – the skipper told us that along with the chef, they would lift the craypots while passengers watched. This is illegal behaviour from a company does not hold a commercial fishing licence and is not a Licensed Fish Receiver.
"A commercial business cannot catch fish recreationally and serve it to customers,” Jay said.
- Allied Media
