Together with fisheries officers, a crew from HMNZS Wellington boarded numerous boats, looking for illegal practices.
Out of 34 tuna boats, 24 four were found to be non-compliant.
“There was a lot of out-of-area fishing, undeclared shark catch and also unmarked floats and equipment,” said Lieutenant Commander Matt Kaio of HMNZS Wellington, which returned from its mission today.
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As well as providing enforcement, the ship has been a valuable resource for Pacific nations that can’t afford to cover such a vast area.
“We are all about providing a sustainable fishery in the south west Pacific. And it’s our responsibility as a major Pacific player to do this sort of thing,” Lieutenant Commander Kaio told ONE News.
In the three-month operation the navy boarded over 100 fishing boats. Any irregularities found were passed on to the host Pacific nation and it will be up to that country to decide whether to prosecute or not.
While New Zealand has delivered the offenders, history shows they often get away with it.
“This evidence needs to be acted on. And what we’ve seen over the years it, on a regular basis, isn’t acted on or treated seriously,” said Tim McKinnel, a Greenpeace investigator.
Greenpeace is constantly monitoring suspicious activity in the region and says there needs to be a co-ordinated approach between those who regulate and the country the vessels come from.
“It’s deeply worrying, and suggestive of endemic problems up in the Pacific Ocean. But I would have to say, disappointingly it’s entirely consistent with our experience up there,” Mr McKinnel said.
This latest navy exercise has been beneficial for the whole region, as tuna is a migratory fish.
It’s about sending a message to illegal fishing boats that non-compliance is not an option.
2016, TVNZ Ltd