Global News - March 2008

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New Zealand officials concerned about rise in poaching

Mon 31 March 2008 17:00 UK — Australasia,Marine Wildlife

Officials from New Zealand's ministry of fisheries have said they are concerned about the sharp rise in paua poaching in the country.

Website stuff.co.nz reported that officials said that they had witnessed a dramatic rise in the amount of poaching of the native species of abalone, especially around Banks Peninsula.

It added that since October last year, the ministry has issued 60 infringement notices to people caught poaching the marine creatures.

Current laws only allow people to gather ten paua per day and specify that the creatures must be over a certain length. However, some people have been caught collecting up to 187 paua in a single day. They also often ignore size rules, poaching young specimens.

Officials explained that the limits were in place to ensure numbers do not decline too swiftly and to let the paua reproduce before they are gathered.

Ministry district compliance manager Peter Hyde explained to the site: "There are some areas that are getting hit quite hard around areas where people can walk in from Boulder Bay and Godley Head.

"There could be a case for reducing the size limit in some of these areas."

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