27 January 2006

A possible black market paua supply chain has been broken, following the seizure of 100 kilograms of paua meat in Wellington city in the early hours of Friday 27 January 2006.

Ministry of Fisheries District Compliance Manager, Ross Thurston, says the discovery of the paua meat came after a routine police patrol stopped and spoke to the occupant of modern Volkswagen in central Wellington.

No arrests have been made but Wellington Fishery Officers are making inquiries into the origins of the paua which was frozen and packaged into several plastic bags.

Ministry of Fisheries staff seized the 2001 VW Beetle valued at $20,000.

People involved in the black market paua trade face serious Fishery Act charges and face up to five years in prison and/or $250,000 fines if convicted.

“This has been a significant find and we are grateful to the police staff who initiated this enquiry by undertaking a routine patrol.” Mr Thurston says. “With the commercial price of paua at about $100.00 a kilo the value of this find is in the vicinity of $10,000.00.”