WELLINGTON, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- New Zealand will step up fishery officer patrols over summer to curb illegal gathering and illicit trade of paua, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones said Sunday.
While paua stocks remain healthy overall, poaching is becoming a growing problem, with some of the poaching and black-market trade often linked to organized crime and posing a significant threat, Jones said in a statement.
"Summer is always the worst time of year for it," he said, noting recent declines in compliance, particularly in the capital Wellington and adjacent Wairarapa regions, where around one in five inspections revealed some illegal activity.
Fishery officers will increase patrols, including in more remote areas, to detect and deter offenders, Jones said, urging the public to report those who break the rules through Fisheries New Zealand's hotline.
Legally harvested paua sells for about 100 NZ dollars (58.47 U.S. dollars) per kilogram, but authorities warn that cheap offers, often circulated on social media during December and January, may involve illicit catch, the minister said. ■