24 Jan 2012

Undersize kaimoana taken in Gisborne

8:58 pm on 24 January 2012

The Ministry of Fisheries is disappointed locals and visitors wanting a meal of kaimoana in Gisborne continue to ignore the fishing regulations.

Tom Teneti, the ministry's operations manager based in Gisborne, says in the week after Christmas fisheries officers handed out only a few infringement notices to people taking undersized paua and crayfish.

But last week, they issued almost $8000 worth of notices in three days during patrols of popular fishing spots north of Gisborne.

Mr Teneti says there are a lot of crayfish about - which is a good sign - but most do not meet the legal minimum size.

He says although people are still breaking the law, the level of offending is lower than it has been, suggesting that MAF's zero-tolerance enforcement programme is paying off.