Late returns cost Opotiki fishing company

11 May 2004

Opotiki based commercial fishing company TWA Fishing Company Limited was fined a total of $4,900 on 6 charges of furnishing late Catch Effort Landing Returns and one charge of furnishing a late Monthly Harvest Return when it appeared for sentencing in the Opotiki District Court last week.

The Court heard that on October 21 last year, Fishery Officers conducted an at sea inspection of the defendants' Fishing Vessel (FV) Tania Maree and discovered that the company had furnished a total of 29 returns after the date they were due between February and September 2003. (The returns must be filed with the Ministry no later than the 15th day after the end of the calendar month.)

Tauranga District Compliance Manager, Brendon Mikkelsen, said the returns are used by the Ministry of Fisheries to assist in the overall management and assessment fish stocks in the Quota Management System. It was essential for all returns to be provided within the specified time.

ends.

For more information please contact:
Brendon Mikkelsen
Ministry of Fisheries
Tauranga
Phone: (07) 574-5100.