A Kaikoura man has been fined $600, plus $200 reparation and $130 in court costs, after impersonating a Ministry for Primary Industries fishery officer and extorting tourists who he told had caught undersized fish.
Daniel James, 42, pleaded guilty to one charge of falsely claiming to be a fishery officer during his appearance before the Kaikoura District Court last week, MPI said in a statement.
The court was told James had approached three French tourists who had been free diving in South Bay late last November.
He identified himself as a fishery officer who was there to inspect their catch. After measuring the fish with his hands, he told the tourists that two of the fish were undersized and the third was unfit to eat.
James said the trio could have all of their equipment, including their vehicle, confiscated and the trio could be sent to court.
He told the tourists they would need to pay a $1600 fine for the first fish and $700 fine for the second, or he could waive the penalty with a $200 cash donation.
After being asked for a business card, James said he was on his day off and the cards were in his office, before threatening the trio to pay him immediately or he would take away their passports and set a date for them to appear in court.
One of the tourists then drove to an ATM, where they withdrew the $200, which they handed over to James.
MPI spokesperson Howard Reid called James' actions "serious" and could "undermine the public's trust in the law".
"His actions in falsely representing himself as a fishery officer are viewed as serious and something that could undermine the public’s trust in the law. It was made even worse by the fact he did it for financial gain," Mr Reid said.
"We are very grateful to the Kaikoura locals who looked after the tourists and encouraged them to report this incident to MPI and the police.
"Our fishery officers do a very important job. They're out and about ensuring everyone knows the fishing rules in their area and understanding why they exist. The people who Mr James lied to and extorted money from were innocent parties and did not deserve to go through the ordeal that they did."
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