NO LICENCES

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 155, 23 February 1932, Page 6

NO LICENCES

FOUR DEFENDANTS FINED FOR BREACHES OF FISHING REGUL ATIONS. - TARAWERA AND WAIKARETAHEKE. Charged with fishing at Lake Tarawera on January 2 without licenses, two men, John Etheridge, of Napier, and Raymond Horton Le Pine, of Hastings, were yesterday convicted in the Rotorua Magistrate's Court and fined £2 with costs 10s in each case. The Conservator of Fish and Game (Mr. A. Kean), who brought the prosecutions, stated that on the date in question, Ranger Frame had seen the' two men coming ashore in a boat on Lake Tarawera. They had fishing gear [ in the boat, and had one fish. When aslced for their licenses, they produced weekly licenses which had run out two days before. He had received correspondence from both men stating that they would plead guilty. Similar charges were brought against two youths, G. F. Winter and Raymond Quayle, who were charged with fishing in the Waikare-Taheke stream on Deeember 27 without licenses. The Conservator stated that Ranger Dobson, had found Quayle fishing in the stream and when asked to produce his license, he had been unable to do so. Quayle was only a lad and had been out with a fishing party. While the other members of the party were away, he had noticed a rod which had been left behind and had picked it up and commenced to fish. It was apparently more the foolish act of a young fellow than anything else. Winter had been a member of the same party, but in his case, he had altered the dates on a license. This was a much more serious matter, but in this case the Department had laid only the one information in respect nf fishing without a. lic.p.nse.

Mr. E. Roe, who entered pleas of guilty on behalf of both defendants, said that Quayle was only 16 or 17 years of age and he had been doubtful whether it was a proper case in which to enter a plea of guilty. The facts as outlined by the Conservator were correct. Quayle had picked up a rod and made a few casts when the ranger came along. He had never fished beI fore. His people were well known in Wairoa, and when his father had heard what had happened, he had made the boy buy a license and pay for it himself. Winter, also, had not been out fishing before and had gone with the party in order to learn to handle a rod. Unfortunately, he had taken out a weekly license some time before, and believing that it would be good for any week, had altered the dates to make them correspond with those of the fishing trip. He had not realised the serious nature of his act, but had taken out a license after being spoken to by the ranger. "Both of these defendants are apparently boys," remarked the magistrate. "Had Winter been older, I would have inflicted a heavier penalty, but it seems to have been the thoughtless act of a boy." The defendants were fined £2 each, with 10s costs in each case.