Massive pāua poaching operation grounded in Porirua

A Porirua fisher has been sentenced to 10 months of home detention and 300 hours of community work after a massive black-market shellfish poaching operation was intercepted by authorities.

Jorden Paul appeared for sentencing after pleading guilty to three charges under the Fisheries Act. The prosecution was led by the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI), following a major bust off the Wellington coastline.

The June 2025 bust

Back to June 2025, Paul and an unnamed accomplice were targeted by fishery officers. The pair had been gathering shellfish off Wellington’s west coast using prohibited underwater SCUBA gear.

When the men returned to a boat ramp near Titahi Bay in Porirua, they were intercepted by compliance officers. A search of their vessel revealed a staggering, illicit haul:

1,869 total pāua stripped from local reefs.

222 undersized shellfish well below legal limits.

1,856 shucked pāua, with just 13 left inside their shells.

Because the shellfish had already been shucked and processed at sea, none of the catch could be returned to the ocean, ensuring long-term environmental damage to the local fishery. An MPI investigation subsequently concluded that the haul was motivated by profit and destined for commercial sale.

Legal limits

Recreational pāua harvesting in the Wellington and Central region is governed by strict conservation laws designed to preserve the taonga species. Paul's operation bypassed these limits on an industrial scale.

Check out the pāua rules and regulations from MPI. Don't forget to grab yourself an MPI pāua knife which is a purpose-built, blunt-tipped tool used by divers to safely harvest pāua and check that they meet legal size requirements underwater

Strict asset forfeiture

In addition to his community work and home detention, Paul has faced severe financial penalties. Under the provisions of the Fisheries Act, the Crown has officially forfeited all property used in the commission of the crime. This includes:

His fishing boat.

His Toyota Landcruiser transport vehicle.

All diving gear, electronics, and harvesting equipment.

His accomplice remains before the courts. MPI reminds the public that buying or receiving black-market seafood is a serious criminal offence, and any suspicious coastal harvesting should be immediately reported to the 0800 4 POACHER hotline (0800 476 224).