FISHERIES personnel confiscated 150 pieces of kawakawa and donu from a ferry that docked at the Mua-i-Walu Port in Suva yesterday after returning from Lau.
This has prompted a stern warning to the public regarding the ban on both fish species as the Ministry of Fisheries further reveals that so far they had also received six reports of illegal fishing of kawakawa on Vanua Levu.
A ministerial statement had urged members of the public to refrain from fishing or killing grouper fishes (kawakawa) and donu (coral trout) and that the ministry would continue with its monitoring and enforcement work.
“After an anonymous tip-off, fisheries officials from the Eastern Division and inshore fisheries management division carried out an inspection on board the ferry only to find the banned species packed in sacks and ready to be picked up,” the statement revealed.
“More than 40 individual consignments were opened and inspected and 19 of these were found to contain some grouper (kawakawa) or coral trout (donu) species. This varied from small quantities to one individual consignment that contained 70 kg of the banned species.”
In total, officers confiscated about 150 pieces of kawakawa and donu weighing more than 260kg and are conducting follow-up enquiries in relation to all of these confiscations.
“The consignments were sent unaccompanied (where the owner was not travelling on the vessel),” the statement said.
“The ministry will be monitoring these services and will confiscate any illegal and banned species identified.”
The ministry also acknowledges the support received from Goundar Shipping and their staff members in conducting the inspections and reiterates that the ban needs to be supported as this will ensure more of these species in our oceans for years to come.
