Photo: Supplied
A sand-mining dredge in action off PΔkiri Beach.
Sand-mining company McCallum Bros is under investigation for alleged wildlife breaches, while dredging offshore at PΔkiri, north of Auckland.
PΔkiri local Damon Clapshaw said he provided information to the Department of Conservation (DOC), showing protected stony coral was discovered in March 2025 by an ecological testing company working for McCallum Bros.
He said it was formally identified three months later, but dredging continued during the three-month period.
He believed DOC should have been notified of the discovery at the time, and was concerned coral may have been disturbed in the months between its discovery and the cessation of dredging.
Stony coral is a living organism protected under the Wildlife Act.
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