Two Auckland fishermen caught trying to sell hundreds of crayfish on Facebook have been sentenced to five months community detention and 140 hours of community work.
Photo: Unbsplash / Stephanie Moody
In July 2020, police stopped a vehicle with Kim Te Ohorere Ormond-Daniel and Edmond Taena Angell, both aged 24, at a checkpoint in northern Hawke's Bay.
They noticed the interior smelled strongly of seafood and called in fishery officers, who inspected the vehicle, and found four bins of crayfish including 193 spiny red of which 34 were undersize.
They also found 29 undersize pack horse crayfish, two crayfish carrying eggs and one with a broken pleural spine.
Further investigations by the Ministry for Primary Industries found evidence that the men had sold another 277 crayfish at online black market sales.
They took the crayfish from Māhia in Hawke's Bay where the daily catch limit is six per person and sold them on Facebook for between $20 and $80 a crayfish.
MPI regional manager fisheries compliance Tyrone Robinson said it was illegal to sell recreationally caught seafood.
"Māhia crayfish are under pressure and when MPI finds evidence of people taking more than their share we will hold them to account. This kind of offending affects the sustainability of this taonga species which needs to be looked after for current and future generations."
The two men pleaded guilty to seven joint charges under the Fisheries Act and were sentenced in the Papakura District Court this week to to five months community detention and 140 hours of community work.
"We expect this sentence sends a strong message of deterrence to others who might be tempted to sell recreationally caught crayfish on the black market - you will be prosecuted," Robinson said.
The court also ordered the pair's vehicle that was used to transport the crayfish to be forfeited to the Crown.
Suspected illegal fishing activity can be reported to MPI on its 0800 4 POACHER number (0800 47 62 24).