The penalties imposed on a commercial fisher this week for fishing offences send a clear message that it is unacceptable to abuse New Zealand’s quota management system, says the Ministry for Primary Industries.
Gregory James Fife received fines totalling $20,000 and 200 hours community work and Remus, the $200,000 vessel that he skippered, was forfeited in March following conviction.
In March 2012 Mr Fife entered guilty pleas to eight charges relating to making false entries in fishing returns and one charge of failing to furnish a return.
Under the quota management system, blue cod is managed by each fishstock within their respective quota management areas.
The offending related to taking blue cod from one quota management area (BCO3 – South East) and misreporting it as having been taken from another area (BCO5 – Southland).
