‘Can’t get any fresher’: Diver fined over illegal crayfishing in Queenstown tourism experience

Author: Brianna McIlraith,
Publish Date: Sat, 15 Aug 2026, 10:13am

David Casey gathered crayfish as part of The Helicopter Line's heli crayfish experience. Photo / Supplied

A luxury helicopter and crayfish-gathering experience was marketed to tourists as showcasing “amazing fresh produce of New Zealand”.

But it has now led to Invercargill diver David Casey being fined $3750 for illegally gathering crayfish for a Queenstown helicopter company and a hotel when neither party held a permit.

According to the summary of facts, in May 2022 Casey was engaged by The Helicopter Line (THL) to provide diving services as part of its collaborative heli-crayfish experience with The Rees Hotel.

The experiences involved customers being flown from Queenstown to remote locations in Fiordland and Milford. In a promotional video by THL, it said while customers waited on a remote West Coast beach, a diver would be sent to “go and get your lunch”.

Upon landing, Casey would dive and take the maximum recreational limit of six crayfish, entertain the customers with facts about crayfish, allow them to take photos, then put the crayfish in a pod outside the helicopter.

“The diver will go in and get fresh crayfish, so it’s really about showcasing that amazing fresh produce of New Zealand,” the promotional video says.

The crayfish were then provided to The Rees Hotel for its dining service. Casey was paid $800 by THL each time.

THL charged for its services to the hotel at a cost of between $2541.50 and $4650.

Under the Fisheries Act 1996, any seafood used as part of a commercial business must be sourced under a valid commercial permit.

But during the relevant time, neither THL nor Casey had a permit or exemption to take crayfish for a commercial purpose.

In July 2022, THL provided a marketing heli-crayfish experience for a group of three people from The Rees Hotel at a cost of $2541.50.

The cost included Casey’s taking of the crayfish.

The chief executive of The Rees Hotel, Mark Rose, was also on the trip.

Upon returning to the hangar, the crayfish were removed from the helicopter’s external pod and placed in a chilly bin owned by THL.

The chilly bin was then given to Rose and the crayfish were used as part of a meal for eight hotel guests.

In a text exchange with the hotel’s agent, Casey replied to an image of the crayfish meal and said: “Can’t get any fresher than that.”

Fisheries New Zealand became aware of the activity in 2022 and warned the hotel it needed a permit. When this was not done, an investigation began and the Ministry for Primary Industries brought a prosecution.

It also brought charges against THL and The Rees Hotel.

The starting point for the charge against Casey was a $5000 fine.

Yesterday, he appeared in Queenstown District Court via audio-visual link from Invercargill District Court for sentencing.

Judge Ali’imuamua Sandra Alofivae gave Casey a 15% discount for his early guilty plea.

“You knew what you were doing was wrong.

“I know you have a young family and work long hours and you’re doing your best to get by,” she said.

She also granted a 10% discount for personal circumstances.

That brought the fine down to $3750 which could be paid in increments.

In July 2025, The Rees Hotel was fined $22,000 for illegally selling recreationally caught crayfish and failing to keep proper records.

Company chief executive Mark Rose was discharged without conviction, while THL is still before the courts.

Brianna McIlraith is a Queenstown-based reporter for Open Justice covering courts in the lower South Island. She has been a journalist since 2018 and has had a strong interest in business and financial journalism.