Online black markets sales of fish using social media are increasing rapidly with 117 cases around New Zealand so far this year, including three in Nelson.
The Ministry of Primary Industries first encountered the problem in 2012 when four cases of online black market fish trading were identified. That escalated to 39 cases in 2013, 173 cases in 2014 and 117 cases to the end of August this year, and MPI compliance director Dean Baigent says offenders are facing prosecution and potentially big fines.
It is illegal for people to buy, sell or swap their recreational catch, Dean says. Depending on the scale of offending, people risk facing prosecution and fines of up to $250,000 as well as forfeiture of any gear used in the offence, including computers and cellphones.
“Many businesses have taken their products online, including illegitimate businesses and opportunists. Once upon a time someone offered you some cheap crays and paua at the pub – now people are getting Facebook alerts.”
Dean says they closed an Auckland-based black market site with 400 followers in March this year and one of the online black marketers was fined $8550 by court.
However, the scale of offending in Nelson doesn’t appear to be as big, with a MPI spokesperson telling the Nelson Weekly that all three cases were “at the lower end of the spectrum”. The cases involved crayfish, kahawai and snapper, and MPI sent the offenders a message formally warning them that selling recreationally caught fish is an offence, and directing them to take the post down.
“We informed them that their details have been recorded in the compliance database and further offences will be dealt with more seriously. We have taken no prosecutions or issued instant fines for this activity in Nelson.”
Dean says fisheries officers and intelligence staff have been quick to adapt to offending online. “The pleasing thing is that people are quick to tell us about this sort of activity, no matter where it happens. We get a lot of calls to our 0800 4POACHER hotline about online posts offering cheap seafood.”
Six people have been prosecuted so far this year for trading black market fish on social media. One person was sentenced to 225 hours community service, while another was fined $8550.
MPI gave three further people infringement notices and instant fines of between $300 and $500.
Dean says people who buy black market seafood pose as much risk to our fisheries as those who do the illegal fishing. “If there are no willing buyers, there is no black market.”
