It was the first time he had encountered a trawler so close to his usual fishing spot, between the Rangitata and Hinds rivers.

He thought the vessel was about 500 metres off the beach – he’d accidentally sent his battery powered surf cast line out on a longer timer than expected – and believed trawlers “operating up and down the coast are just creaming the breeding stocks”.

“Obviously this trawler was operating legally, but ethically it’s wrong,” he said.