Summarised by Centrist
Queenstown’s Helicopter Line has been fined $12,000 and ordered to forfeit two helicopters worth more than $1 million each after pleading guilty to four fisheries offences involving luxury crayfish excursions.
The company has applied for relief from forfeiture to recover the aircraft.
The excursions involved guests flying to a remote beach, watching a diver collect crayfish, and returning to The Rees Hotel for dinner. The diver received $800 per trip and collected up to six crayfish, the recreational limit. The overall experience cost between $4,650 and $7,750.
Fisheries New Zealand says the company continued offering the experience after receiving a written direction to stop. A subsequent inspection found crayfish at the hotel labelled “Heli crayfish”.
Helicopter Line director Mark Quickfall described the offending as an “inadvertent compliance misstep” arising from misinterpreted MPI advice. He said the experience had been discontinued and compliance systems strengthened.
The Rees Hotel’s operating company was previously fined $22,000 for illegally selling recreationally caught crayfish and failing to keep records. Diver David Brian Casey was fined $3,750.
Editor’s note: The apparent mismatch understandably raises eyebrows. Permanently losing more than $2 million in aircraft would dwarf a $12,000 fine.
The backstory is that recreational fishing rules were being used to supply a commercial tourism and dining package. Staying within the recreational catch limit does not authorise commercial sale. Fisheries NZ regional manager Garreth Jay explained: “Any use of seafood as part of a business’s commercial activities is considered sale under the Act.”
The helicopters were equipment used in the offending. For specified fisheries offences, legislation makes forfeiture the default, subject to exceptions for special reasons relating to the offence. Forfeiture is additional to other penalties, so it does not cancel or replace the fine.
However, the relief process can allow property to be returned, including after a redemption payment. In February, Fiordland Cruises was fined $60,000 for illegally serving crayfish to customers and recovered its forfeited vessel after paying a $47,000 redemption fee.
Re-published from the Centrist with permission
