1 February 2012

Cable Protection Zone prosecution

The Ministry of Transport has successfully prosecuted Paul Gubb, owner and master of the Wellington based Sweet Georgia charter vessel for fishing in the cable protection zone off the south coast of Wellington.

The prosecution follows an incident in March 2011 in which fifteen people were observed down-lining from the Sweet Georgia, well within the cable protection zone.

In sentencing Mr Gubb, the Judge stated that the offending was grossly reckless and after giving him credit for his plea of guilty and other mitigating factors, consequently fined him $10,000, plus costs totalling $380.

“The message is getting through to most boaties that it’s not okay to fish in the cable protection zone” says Bruce Johnson, General Manager of the Ministry’s Aviation and Maritime group. “We hope that this latest prosecution shows that the risks are very high given that the zone is patrolled 24/7.”

The prosecution was taken under the Submarine Cables and Pipelines Protection Act 1996 (the Submarine Cables Act). The purpose of the Submarine Cables Act is to provide protection for the submarine pipelines and cables around the coast of New Zealand, in this case the telecommunication and power cables which run between the North and South Islands. The cables are a critical link in New Zealand’s power supply and telecommunications networks.

ENDS

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