Home detention term over Christchurch black market crays
A recreational fisherman at Kaikoura has been put on home detention for five months for black market trading in crayfish and paua with buyers in Christchurch.
Grant Leslie Gillbanks, 32, a beneficiary, has also lost his car, craypots, diving gear, two freezers, gas cray cooker, and all the rock lobster and paua he was caught with, after a confiscation order by the court.
Gillbanks appeared by video-link from the Blenheim court house for sentencing by Judge Emma Smith who was sitting in Christchurch.
She said a prison term was warranted to provide deterrence in the Kaikoura area where the offending occurred from late 2012 to early 2013. But she had decided that the sentence could be served as home detention at Gillbanks’ Kaikoura address.
He had admitted eight charges of obtaining a benefit by selling crayfish and paua, and using five rock lobster pots which is over the allowable limit of three for an individual recreational fisher.
The Ministry of Primary Industries, which brought the prosecution, said illicit trading undermined the legitimate rock lobster and paua markets which were of significant value to the New Zealand economy, and limited potential growth of the industries.
It said: “The Kaikoura rock lobster and paua fisheries are significant to local Maori, commercial, and recreational fishers.”
The Ministry said it received information in April 2012 that Gillbanks was dealing in recreationally caught crayfish and paua, and began observing his activities.
In September 2012 he was approached by someone as he left the water and asked the person if he wanted to buy the seafood he had in his catch bag. The deal was done and the two exchanged phone numbers and discussed future sales.
A series of transactions took place from then until raids by fisheries officers in February 2013.
Gillbanks would drive to Christchurch and make sales in the Belfast area near Johns Road, or on Bealey Avenue. Gillbanks also made arrangements with a second buyer who was taking orders for crayfish for his work colleagues.
The total sales involved about 150 crayfish, and 46 were found in two freezers at Gillbanks’ address when it was raided on February 22, 2013.
Gillbanks told them it was all his, and said he ate one or two crayfish a day as well as a lot of paua.
Gillbanks was selling batches of up to 50 crayfish at a time for $20 each, or $15 each to the second buyer.
Judge Smith said he was employed and the home detention sentence might allow him to keep his job. He had a 15-year history of offending but she hoped the severity of the sentence in this case – when jail was being considered – would cause a “sea change” in his thinking.
Category: Focus
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