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Paua stocks healthy despite poachers

Author
Nick Walker,
Publish Date
Thu, 23 Apr 2015, 5:19AM
Photo: NewsPixNZ/NZ Herald
Photo: NewsPixNZ/NZ Herald

Paua stocks healthy despite poachers

Author
Nick Walker,
Publish Date
Thu, 23 Apr 2015, 5:19AM

There's confidence New Zealand's paua stocks are healthy despite a rise in the number being poached.

Figures obtained under the Official Information Act show while the number of convictions for poaching has dropped since 2009, the number of paua being taken has risen.

Ministry of Primary Industries spokesman Dean Baigent says there's still plenty in the sea.

He says the problem comes when one area is hit particularly hard.

"The damage they do is the isolated depletion of specific areas and there are some areas where these guys operate where there is depletion."

Baigent believes people there's an insatiable hunger on the black market.

"There always seems to be someone who's willing to step in and take that chance. But eventually we'll put them in front of a court so they can face the music."

 

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