Date: 27/03/2009
Ian Wotherspoon, a 47 year old builderâs labourer from Whangamata, New Zealand, was caught taking illegal quantities of rock lobster and ordered to pay $3820 in fines. His 4.4m boat, 40 hp outboard and 11 lobster pots were forfeited to the crown. The charges included using more than the allowed three lobster pots, having more than three times his daily limit, having undersized lobster, having lobster âin berryâ (carrying external eggs), using pots without his name on them and using pots without apertures through which the undersized lobster could escape. Lobster rules visit
www.fish.govt.nz