Large haul of small paua at China Palace

Tag: china cupboard

Gisborne businessman and former restaurateur Pang Chan said he had no knowledge of 790 paua when they were found by fisheries officers at his premises, and claimed his wife had collected the fish "behind my back" to feed Chinese opera singers.

The two are facing charges in a defended hearing before Judge Robert Woolf in Gisborne District Court. Fisheries officers said they went to the China Palace complex during an operation on March 29, 2007, and found 790 frozen and dried paua in boxes and plastic bags - 79 times the daily limit of paua.

Chin King Pang Chan, 71, has pleaded not guilty to possessing undersize paua, and to possessing paua for the purpose of sale.

His wife Yuen Skui Chan, 69, has pleaded guilty to possessing undersize paua.

Morgan Dunn, counsel for the Ministry of Fisheries, said paua was found in numerous plastic bags of 10 paua each, labelled in Chinese, and in boxes in the kitchen area of Aladdin's Bar and in the basement.

Dried paua was found in the fridge and pantry area of the Chans' residential premises within the same building.

Fisheries officer Tatia Kutia said the paua in the pantry was in plastic bags and "appeared to be extremely undersize".

Chan denied repeatedly that he interfered and spoke to his wife in Chinese as fisheries officers tried to interview her.

He had only asked her if she wanted coffee, he said.