Date: 1/8/2006
Harvey Fishing Ltd, was convicted and fined $3,500 at Whakatane District Court for the abandonment of 200kg of legal sized snapper at sea off the Whakatane Coast, Eastern Bay of Plenty. Following a report from a local charter boat operator, Eastern Bay of Plenty based Fishery Officers obtained a sample of the snapper and photographs that led to the identification of the defendant companyâs vessel Rose Croix. Research undertaken at The University of Auckland, and published in the prestigious USA journal Science, shows that worldwide protection of marine habitats is ineffectively managed to retain biodiversity, and many so-called âMarine Protected Areasâ are under threat from the likes of over-harvesting and pollution. Only 2% of the worldâs tropical coral reefs are being safeguarded by Marine Protected Areas, where some restriction is placed on human activities. However, less than 0.01% of the worldâs coral reefs are protected from over-harvesting, poaching, siltation, nutrient enrichment and pollution. No global region currently protects more than 10% of its coral reefs adequately, with reefs in the Indo-Pacific and Caribbean remaining particularly vulnerable.