Operation Pacman

The termination this week of “Operation Pacman” will deal a severe blow to the extensive poaching and black marketing of New Zealand’s valuable paua and rock lobster resources, says Fisheries Minister Pete Hodgson.

“I congratulate the Ministry of Fisheries on this operation, which represents a new and innovative approach to a longstanding and growing problem”, Mr Hodgson said.

“I am pleased to see the Ministry using the provisions of new legislation that has clarified Fishery Officer powers and significantly increased penalties, including up to five years imprisonment for offences that previously only attracted fines. These changes in the Fisheries Act 1996, implemented last October, reflect the recognition by Parliament of the crucial importance of our fisheries resources”.

The large scale of illegal fishing of paua and rock lobster is estimated to cost New Zealand up to $22 million a year, but poachers also hinder the activities of legitimate commercial fishers, recreational fishers and tangata whenua, and threaten the sustainability of the resource.

“I am also pleased to note the crucial support provided by the New Zealand Police and the New Zealand Defence Force, RNZAF and the Royal New Zealand Navy,” Mr Hodgson said “This intergovernmental approach provides the Ministry of Fisheries with a reach and operational capability that none of the agencies involved could achieve by themselves”

Mr Hodgson said he looked forward to further updates on the operation following his return to New Zealand next Monday. He is in New York City for a United Nations Forestry Forum.