A man found in possession of more than 20 times the legal limit of paua hauled from Ocean Beach last year has been fined $1760.
Hastings man Trinity John Eparaima, 40, appeared before Judge Bridget Mackintosh in the Hastings District Court yesterday and pleaded guilty to two fisheries charges relating to possessing undersized and excess paua.
On October 13 last year Eparaima was a passenger in a vehicle pulled over by Ministry for Primary Industries officers in Havelock North.
Both he and the driver, who is still before the courts, were found with a haul of 201 paua; more than 20 times the legal limit for one person.
Ministry for Primary Industries prosecutor Aroha Cooper told the court 193 of the black foot paua measured less than the legal length of 125mm.
In explanation the defendant said he had been fishing for the paua for a 21st birthday celebration in his family and was under the impression they had acquired a permit.
"He said he was out to get a feed for him and his cousins but 10 [paua] was not enough," Ms Cooper said.
Defence lawyer Amanda Bryant sought a sentence of a fine; accepting it would be a substantial amount but noting it was the only option because Eparaima's personal circumstances meant he was unable to complete any community work.
She submitted her client had been asked by family to fish for paua for the 21st birthday celebration and, being an inexperienced diver, he understood he was simply working as a spare pair of hands during the fishing trip.
Judge Mackintosh fined the man $750 plus court costs of $130 for each of the fisheries charges, adding the sentence did not reflect the ordinary tariff for such offending which could have reached into the thousands.
Harvest of paua is controlled by the Ministry for Primary Industries who enforce daily bag and size restrictions.
In Hawke's Bay only 10 paua of each species are permitted per fisher per day and the minimum legal size is 125mm for black foot paua (Haliotis iris) and 80mm for yellow foot paua (Haliotis australis).