A helicopter operator is ordered to forfeit two helicopters, reportedly worth about $1 million each, after authorities prosecute the company over crayfish-related offences tied to luxury tourism trips in Queenstown. The case centers on whether recreationally caught crayfish are used commercially to supply premium helicopter excursions.
According to reporting, the company is warned before formal legal action that it must stop the trips. The Fisheries Act prosecution follows the warning, with sources describing that the operator continued carrying out the premium experiences despite concerns that crayfish taken under recreational rules cannot be used for commercial purposes.
Different outlets focus on the scale and cost of the forfeiture. One outlet emphasizes that the order comes after the operator was warned to cease the trips, while another highlights the “luxury” nature of the helicopter tourism and the continuing operation after the warning. Both accounts describe the same core dispute: the legality of using crayfish in a commercial tourism context.
