More than 400 pāua were illegally gathered on Kaikōura's south coast Photo: Supplied / MPI
More than half of the 422 pāua illegally taken from Kaikōura's south coast were undersized, says the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI).
MPI says serious charges are likely after the pāua was found in a car stopped by police.
It said fishery officers had stopped the car earlier in the day, but it sped off before the occupants' pāua take could be inspected.
Police later stopped the vehicle in Rangiora and found 422 pāua in the car.
More than 400 pāua were illegally gathered on Kaikōura’s south coast. Photo: Supplied / MPI
MPI said 230 of the pāua were undersized.
Fisheries New Zealand district manager Marlborough/Canterbury, Stuart Moore said the daily limit is three pāua per person with a minimum legal size of 130mm.
"The limit is there for a reason - to protect our shared fisheries and keep them sustainable," he said.
"We encourage all fishers or people planning to go fishing to know the rules. The best thing to do is to download our free NZ Fishing Rules mobile app which will provide you the latest rules, restrictions and closures at your fingertips."
A 63-year-old Porirua man found with more than 600 pāua was last month jailed for more than 2 years.
Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
