It is illegal to have filleted blue cod on your boat in the Marlborough Sounds unless they are for immediate consumption.

A fisherman has been told he can only fillet blue cod on his boat if his frying pan is on.

Frank McWatt caught four blue cod at Beatrix Bay, in the Marlborough Sounds, during the Christmas holidays.

McWatt, his wife Jo, their daughter and two grandchildren tucked into the fillets for dinner.

Jo McWatt said the family were full and put the leftover fillets in the fridge for the next day.

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But their boat Savvy 2 was boarded by a Ministry for Primary Industries officer who asked to see inside the boat.

The compliance officer said McWatt was not allowed to have blue cod fillets in the fridge while at sea.

McWatt, of Christchurch, was told he had to have the frying pan on before he started filleting his catch, he said.

"You are not allowed to fillet a fish then pause before you put it in the pan."

McWatt said he initially thought the "frying pan rule" was a joke.

"I wasn't happy about it. My wife made me hold my tongue.

"The compliance officer said she would let us off because it was Christmas."

Nobody at the ministry could be reached for comment at the time of publication.

McWatt would have faced a $250 fine for the breach.

"If it had gone to court, I would have defended the case.

"It's bloody ridiculous. I was dumbfounded."

Under MPI rules if you keep blue cod on your boat it must be in a "whole and measurable state", unless it was for immediate consumption.

The regulations stopped anyone having filleted blue cod in the Marlborough Sounds because fisheries officers were unable to tell from the fillets if the fish was of a legal size.

McWatt said he understood it was wrong to have the fillet in the fridge but he had every intention of eating it.

"We fish just enough for a good feed."

McWatt said in future he might have to make it clearer that he was going to eat the fish immediately.

"I would put out cutlery and plates but they would fall off the table," he said.

The rule was not conducive to family meals, he said.

"If I'm hungry at 6pm I'll have to get the wife to put the stove and the pan on. Then I'll have to fillet the fish and cook it. We have to go through the whole thing again for another member of the family. 'Sorry wife, I can't sit with you at dinner, I'm filleting my fish'.

"I wish I was teetotal, I would have more time to fillet."

McWatt, a fisherman of 40 years, said the experience had not put him off blue cod fishing in the Sounds.

Recreational fisherman Tony Orman said he thought there was nothing wrong with filleting the fish to eat an hour later.

"What is immediate consumption? Is it within an hour or within a day?

"It's public servants being over zealous."

Recreational fisherman Peter Watson said the "frying pan rule" was new to him.

"He should have said it was for sushi and he was chilling them."