Illegal fishing in New Zealand's marine reserves is showing no sign of slowing — with new figures revealing the country's worst hotspots for people breaking the rules.
Te Whanganui-o-Hei/Cathedral Cove in the Coromandel, Horoirangi near Nelson, and Long Bay-Okura in Auckland had the most offences across the 2024-2025 summer period, according to Department of Conservation (DOC) data released to 1News.
Nationwide, DOC recorded 105 confirmed offences last summer, alongside 126 reported alleged incidents across the 44 no-take marine reserves — areas where fishing was completely banned to protect and restore sea life.
One of the worst cases involved claims that between 100-200 fish were taken from the Goat Island Marine Reserve in December.
In another breach, a group collected kina, rock cods and over 1000 shellfish from Cathedral Cove — ignoring warning signage and track closures.
DOC's compliance teams said they were encountering more serious and deliberate breaches, with offenders caught line fishing, trolling through reserves, kayak fishing, and setting cray pots.
Last summer, there were more than 200 confirmed and suspected offences across the country. (Source: 1News)
"It is really disheartening," DOC Marine Reserves Programme Lead, Gabrielle Goodin said.
"We're finding some more brazen and serious offending than what we have in the past.”
The data showed illegal fishing surges in popular summer destinations, with two-thirds of all offences over the past five years occurring between October and March, and up to a quarter during the Christmas break.
Goodin said patterns were clear: when the weather is good and people head to the water, breaches spike.
Professor Jonathan Gardner, a retired marine biologist from Victoria University of Wellington, said illegal fishing undermined the very point of marine reserves — to show how ecosystems function without human pressure.
Rock lobsters, kura, snapper, kina, and blue cod were taonga species being monitored, he told 1News.
“If your marine reserve is working, if it's doing what you think it should be doing, then the size and the numbers, the abundance of these organisms increase.”
Yuin Khai Foong, the general manager of the Sir Peter Blake Marine and Education Centre, said marine protections have created plenty of recreational opportunities other than fishing.
“Sailing or diving or paddling or surfing,” he told 1News. “You can do all these amazing things and really get out there and experience the breadth of beauty and splendor that this country has on offer.”
The maximum penalty for fishing in a marine reserve is a $10,000 fine or three months in jail, DOC said.
Spot infringement fines of up to $600 can also be handed out, with conservation marine rangers enforcing rules this summer.
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