Employee had 'direct involvement' in offence, says Fisheries NZ
An employee of an Auckland fish trader has been sentenced to more than three years in jail for his direct involvement in his organisation's unlawful distribution of illegally caught fish.
Marco Taukatelata, 49, was sentenced to three years and seven months in jail, while former company director Haihong Liu was sentenced to 12 months of home detention for their involvement in the case.
The sentences came after Taukatelata's employer, Sea World Limited, was caught unlawfully distributing fish worth over $348,000 to other seafood companies, according to Fisheries New Zealand.
"This offending would not have been possible without the direct involvement of Mr. Taukatelata or the assistance of Ms. Liu," said Steve Ham, director of fisheries compliance at Fisheries New Zealand, in a statement.
Taukatelata and Liu were sentenced at the Auckland District Court on Friday for charges under the Fisheries Act.
"The courts response should send a strong message to anyone involved in dealing in black market fish, whether at a low level or commercial level – it's only a matter of time before you're caught," Ham said.
Sea World also fined
According to Fisheries NZ, Sea World Limited was a Licenced Fish Receiver and a Dealer in Fish that could legally receive fish from commercial fishers and distribute that fish to retailers.
However, its investigation found that the company illegally supplied fish valued at over $348,000 to other seafood companies between December 2018 and November 2019.
Most of the 97 transactions carried out were in cash, according to Ham, who noted that there was a "deliberate attempt to hide the transactions."
"None of this fish was properly recorded and was not reported as landed legally or received legally by Sea World. This was deliberate stealing by stealth that fell outside of the Quota Management System," the compliance director said.
Sea World Limited has been fined $360,000 for its offences. A transport truck it owned, as well as $20,000 cash, were also forfeited to the crown.
"When we find evidence of illegal sales in fish – you can be assured that we will investigate and place the matter before the court," Ham said.
According to Fisheries NZ, there are still other defendants scheduled to appear in court on criminal charges.
