REAL DYNAMITE!

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 5, Issue 72, 1 July 1942, Page 5

REAL DYNAMITE!

SHORT-CUT FISHING METHODS MATATA RESIDENTS PROSECUTED PRACTICE FAIRLY PREVALENT The arrest of one man, a Maori on a charge of dynamiting fish in the mouth of the Tar awe ra River, resulted in something of ■ a police haul, the sequel of which was the prosecution of four men in the Whakatane Court yesterday before Mr E. L. Walton, S.M. The other charges resulted from the evidence divulged! by the first offender in a written statement to the police From what was said in court it would appear that the practice of djjfemiting fish on the coast above Whakatane was very. prevalent and as one of the accused happened to be an honorary Inspector of Marine, it cannot be wondered at. Patrick Namari (who did not appear) was charged with three separate counts in connection with the illegal use of dynamite for killing fish on March 16 last. In his written statement to the police he pleaded guilty and Sergeant Farrell added that he made no secret of the fact when he was first apprehended, admitting further that he obtained the explosive from the county quarry at Awakaponga. He had added that it was quite a common thing in the Matata district and named several persons with whom he had co-oper-ated in the past. Sergeant Farrell added that the County Council had no desire to prosecute as accused was in poor circumstances and it was obvious that he had obtained the fish solely as food for his fam-

ily. The magistrate said he could not view the offence lightly as the practice must be stopped. Namari was fined £5 on the first charge and £2 on each successive one with costs amounting to 275. Brian Chayter (Mir B. S. Barty) pleaded guilty to two similar charges committed on May 2. Police evidence was similar to that recited earlier, the Sergeant adding that as an Inspector of Marine, defendant* had said that so many people indulged in the practice that it was impossible to stop itFined £2 and costs 22s on each •charge. Another Maori, Ahia Mark, (Mr Barry) who was charged with having assisted in the commission of an ■offence, admitted having pickcd up a number of dead fish. Fined £2 and costs 275. Arthur Anthony Kinley (Mr Barry) a garage proprietor of Matata pleaded not guilty to two charges having dynamite in his possession and of • using it to kill fish in the mouth of the Tarawera River on May 1. Sergeant Farrcll produced an unsigned statement in which the defendant admitted the charges, stating that he had obtained the explosives three years ago from P.W.D. contractors for the purpose of splitting logs. The Sergeant added that* Kinley had promised to deliver the ' remaining plugs in his possession to the Courthouse but had failed to do so, claiming that he had thrown them into the tide. From the box, defendant said he freely admitted having been present when fish were ■dynamited, but had never at any time 'shot' fish himself. He denied ever having admitted to the police that he had done so and had therefore refused to sign the statement. The magistrate said he did not believe the story put up by the dej--I'endant who would be fined £2 and, costs 22s and £5 and costs 10s on ■each "charge respectively.