to get customary fishing permits
Crayfish stocks around Mahia in Hawke’s Bay have been plundered by a man and daughter who obtained customary fishing permits by falsely claiming the kai was for tangi and hui.
Martin Te Iwingaro Ernest Paul, 49, and his daughter, Whareake Tamaku Paul, 26, both of Kawerau, were sentenced in Whakatane District Court this week after admitting a charge of selling 1449 crayfish between September 2020 and August 2021 on the black market for a total of $43,140.
The pair were caught following a major Fisheries New Zealand investigation into the illegal harvesting of thousands of crayfish from Mahia Peninsula, using falsified customary permits. The crayfish was sold on the black market throughout Auckland, Kawerau, Tauranga, Gisborne, Wairoa, Mahia and Napier.
Link to video and article: Poachers used fake tangi and hui to get customary fishing permits | Stuff.co.nz
