FISHERMEN FINED

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 653, 3 May 1929, Page 11

FISHERMEN FINED

NO LICENCE COSTS £lO MAORI’S ILLEGAL BAIT (From Our Own Correspondent) ROTORUA, Thursday. A farmer of Hinuera, J. R. Hogarth, pleaded guilty in tne Magistrate's Court, before Mr. S. L. Paterson. S.M., to fishing in a stream with forbldd n bait—a spoon. Mr. W. Cobildick represented the Tourist Department, which was prosecuting. Hogarth, in a letter to the district manager of the department, admitted thd offence, but said he was unaware that he was breaking the regulations. The Magistrate imposed a fine of £ 2 and costs. Hori Waaka (Mr. Basley) pleaded not guilty to fishing without a licence and using illegal bait, namely, “a koura.” H. Frame, ranger for the Tourist Department, said that he was coming down the Waititi Stream on Saturday. February 23. and saw the Maori standing beside the boat with a fishing rod in his hand. The Maori ran away before he got the boat, and left the rod with two boys. Witness examined the rod and found a koura was being used as bait. Two boys gave corroborative evidence. Mr. Basley said that defendant was away on the Saturday morning gathering kakahi, and that there was no proof that Hori Waaka was the Maori in question. Neither had Waaka been asked for his licence. Hori Daaka corroborated counsel’s remarks. Three Maori women corroborated his evidence. Defendant was fined £2 on each charge, with costs £ 1 10s. Rich Sherratt. of Gisborne. was charged with fishing without a licence at Lake Rotoiti. Defendant frankly admitted his offence, and after hearing the ranger relate the circumstances, the magistrate imposed a fine of £lO and costs 10s.