A Wairoa man who illegally harvested more than 4600 crayfish for a widespread black market ring has been sentenced to prison for more than two years.
John Nohotima, 60, spent 11 months illegally harvesting 4664 crayfish at Māhia between 2020 and 2021 using false customary permits, the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) said in a statement.
He appeared for sentencing at the Wairoa District Court on Wednesday after selling the crayfish throughout Auckland, Kawerau, Tauranga, Gisborne, Wairoa, Māhia and Napier.
Nohotima made $64,000 from his operation however the value of the crayfish would have been almost $300,000 if they had been harvested and sold legally.
It comes after other members of the black market ring were sentenced in March to home detention and community work.
His sister, Anne Nohotima, 53, was sentenced to 100 hours of community work on Wednesday after selling 210 crayfish that her brother had caught.
Fisheries NZ regional fisheries compliance manager Jodie Cole believes Nohotima was the key to the poaching ring’s operation.
"Nohotima used falsified customary permits to illegally harvest this crayfish with around 16 cray pots, fishing from the waters near Māhia Peninsula," Cole said.
"It was organised offending involving a number of people," he said.
Nohitima used different kaitiaki to hide the number of crayfish he was harvesting.
"Local iwi and marae leaders had no knowledge or involvement in the offending and are also victims of this deception."
Cole said a large amount of the stolen crayfish was sold by the poaching ring at a fraction of the legitimate market price.
"If you're offered seafood at a price that appears too good to be true, assume it was probably harvested illegally.
"Poachers have no regard for the sustainability of our fisheries."
Anyone with information about illegal fishing should report it through MPI at 0800 4 POACHER (0800 47 62 24).
