Four Southland men have been fined a total of $36,900 following a Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) investigation into illegal seafood sales.

Commercial fishers Michael Noel Hawke (61), Stuart Teiwi Ryan (48), and Peter George Fletcher (32), along with Duncan William Davis (39), who is not a licensed fisher, were sentenced in the Invercargill District Court after pleading guilty to multiple charges under the Fisheries Act.

Greg Forbes, Fisheries New Zealand District Manager, said the investigation uncovered widespread illegal sales of kina, pāua, crayfish, blue cod, and oysters.

“Our investigation found Mr Hawke sold about 1000 dredge oysters during the 2023 season that were not part of his allowable commercial take."

"They were his allowable recreational take and should have been in his landing report."

The oysters were valued at more than $3,000.

The investigation also found a deckhand aboard the fishing vessel was selling his allowable recreational catch.

“Mr Ryan was found to have sold 114 crayfish and about 40 blue cod. Crayfish retails at about $140 a kg and blue cod $75 a kg. Mr Ryan made around $2,250 in illegal earnings."

Electronic evidence found Davis sold seafood including up to 400 punnets of kina roe, some pāua and blue cod on the black market he had either caught, or bought from Mr Ryan to resell.

“This was up to $5000 of kina that was sold illegally and finfish valued at about $2000."

"This was deliberate and the motivation was simply to make money,” Forbes said.

Meanwhile, Fishery Officers found the third commercial fisher, Mr Fletcher, sold about 200 dredge oysters illegally on about six occasions.

“These men had no permits to sell seafood and were not Licensed Fish Receivers,” Forbes said. “Poachers steal from all New Zealanders and undermine our Quota Management System.”

The fines handed down were: Hawke – $6,000, Ryan – $13,000, Fletcher – $3,900, and Davis – $14,000.

“Most commercial fishers follow the rules to protect the future of our fisheries,” Forbes added.

“Black-market sales are a slap in the face to those doing the right thing.”

MPI encourages people to report suspected illegal activity through the ministry's 0800 4 POACHER number (0800 476 224)