A Coromandel-based commercial fisherman caught throwing fish overboard at sea has been fined in Thames District Court.

Neville Peter Lang was fined $6750 for abandoning fish, plus $4679 to regain ownership of his boat Vampire 2305.

A recreational boat travelling through the Hauraki Gulf saw a trail of fish; snapper, gurnard and leatherjackets floating from the Vampire 2035 and reported this to the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI).

Neville is the skipper and registered owner and operator of the 12.4 metre commercial fishing vessel Vampire 2035 operating in the inner Gulf, specialising in a type of netting called Danish seining.

He pleaded guilty on December 3 and was sentenced in Thames District Court on February 18. The boat was forfeited when he pleaded guilty.

The fish were discarded during the fishing process without an estimate of the amount being declared on the relevant fishing return, says MPI Waikato-Bay of Plenty District Compliance Manager, Brendon Mikkelsen.

As a result the fish were not captured by the Quota Management System, nor counted against Annual Catch Entitlement.

'It is imperative commercial fishers declare species subject to the QMS that are returned to, abandoned in or accidentally lost at sea,” says Brendon.

'Abandoning quota species and failing to report the estimated amount that has been lost undermines sustainability of our fisheries, and makes it difficult to accurately monitor fish numbers and manage them appropriately.”