New Zealand’s Ministry for Primary Industries is investigating suspected fraudulent activity in the inshore commercial fishing sector.
Compliance officers have secured evidence that from a Hawkes Bay fishing enterprise and enquiries have indicated significant discrepancies between the company’s catch record and export documents, where more fish is being exported than is being reported as caught.
A Hawkes Bay family-based fishing entity involved in all facets of catching, processing and the sale of fish from nine vessels has been identified as potentially being involved.
“The investigation involves activity throughout the commercial supply chain – catching, landing, processing and exporting,” said Ministry for Primary Industries director of compliance, Dean Baigent.
Export documents show the company has exported substantial quantities of fresh chilled product over an 18 month period, while catch records show the company has landed considerably less.
The misreported figure is expected to grow with the inclusion of domestic sales that have occurred over the period in question.
“This looks like an example of a company side-stepping the regulations that ensure the sustainability of our fisheries in a very deliberate and calculated manner. This type of behaviour undermines the Quota Management System, puts the fishery at risk and makes it more difficult for legitimate fishers to get their legitimate catch,” said Baigent.
He added that this is the largest “inshore fisheries” investigation of its type for many years.
“This morning (24 September) 88 MPI Compliance officers and investigators and New Zealand Police visited sites in the greater Hawkes Bay area, Wellington, Tauranga, Gisborne, Chatham Islands and Christchurch.”