A Southland fishing company has had it's fishing vessel and nets forfeited, been fined, and banned from pāua fishing for 3-years, after pleading guilty in the Invercargill District Court to multiple charges under the Fisheries Act.

The successful prosecution by the Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI) saw Cando Fishing Ltd fined $40,000 and it's sole director and skipper, Campbell David McManaway (59) fined $12,000.

MPI said McManaway was skippering the fishing vessel, San Nicholas, during a fishing trip in early February 2020 where thirty-two nets measuring 45 metres each (1440 metres total) were set in and around Otago Retreat and Steep-to Island in Preservation Inlet in Southern Fiordland.

The length of commercial set nets is limited to 1000 metres.

McManaway said he was unaware of the set net restriction and falsely reported his nets as being only 60 metres long.

During a later interview with MPI, McManaway said he likely set more than 2,500m at any one time during the past decade on account because he did not know this rule.

Other fishery offences include inaccurate catch reports such as reporting Butterfish and Moki but not species such as Blue Cod, Crayfish, Tarakihi, Trumpeter, seven-gilled shark, Banded Wrasse and Antarctic Rock Cod. MPI said some of this fish was sold for over $5,200.00.

Cando Fishing and McManaway also removed 300kgs of dead pāua from holding pots, disposing of them without reporting it in the required Monthly Harvest Return.

In March 2020 Fishery Officers observed the San Nicholas lifting holding pots and took possession of 223 dead pāua. After Fishery Officers explained to McManaway his obligation to report this loss, the company eventually reported the loss as 120kgs several months after the event.

MPI Regional Manager Fisheries Compliance, Garreth Jay said the rules were there to protect the resource and keep it sustainable.

"We understand that Mr McManaway was not the regular skipper of the San Nicholas, but not being aware of this has consequences as we’ve heard today."

"For the Quota management system to be effective in managing sustainability, all fishing activity needs to be captured correctly or the system won’t account for that activity creating a real threat to the resource through overfishing or incorrect reporting."

The company's pāua ban prohibits it from holding a fishing permit to catch pāua, engaging in fishing or any activity associated with taking pāua and deriving any beneficial income from activities associated with the taking of pāua.