A Christchurch man has been sentenced to four months home detention after taking 486 paua from a marine reserve south of Kaikoura with the intention of selling the shellfish.

Bruce Honey Tata, 48, was sentenced in the Hamilton District Court on one charge under the Fisheries Act, following a prosecution by the Ministry for Primary Industries.

Of the 486 paua removed from Hikurangi Marine Reserve, where taking the shellfish is prohibited, 159 were undersize.

Fisheries New Zealand regional manager south Garreth Jay said the behaviour threatened a shared resource.

“He intended to sell the paua, which is illegal. Fishery officers have zero tolerance for this behaviour, which threatens the sustainability of this important shared resource,” Jay said.

Tata’s sentence includes a condition requiring him to attend and complete a counselling or tikanga programme to the satisfaction of a probation officer.

His son, Biyhan Tata, 26, was sentenced separately in March to five months community detention for his role in the offending. The younger Tata carried out the diving.

The pair came to the attention of authorities when a fishery officer on patrol observed them at the reserve.

The men concealed a sack of paua beside a concrete sea barrier before Fisheries New Zealand worked with police to stop a vehicle Bruce Tata was travelling in and recover it.

Despite Bruce Tata claiming the paua had been gathered for a social event, investigators found electronic evidence of sales.

Neither man held a permit to sell seafood commercially.
“When we have evidence of illegal fishing behaviour, we take action and will hold those responsible to account,” Jay said.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​