A repeat crayfish poacher from Tairāwhiti has been sentenced to two months jail.
Duke Matahiki, from Tūranganui a Kiwa/Gisborne, had been illegally taking crayfish and other kaimoana from marine reserves, before he was caught in December 2022.
Matt Tong from Te Papa Atawhai/Department of Conservation (DoC) said it appreciated help from police and Fisheries NZ (FNZ) on the arrest.
"Cooperation with them by our own dedicated staff plays an integral role in helping to protect our marine reserves from events such as this."
The sentence comes after police first apprehended Matahiki at the Tapuwae o Rongokako Marine Reserve on November 8 last year.
A police dog had found a hidden sack of crayfish nearby.
The next day, CCTV video showed Matahiki trying to find the sack but police had already released the crayfish back into the reserve.
A month later, on December 6, conservation, fisheries and police officers teamed up to apprehend him after he tried taking kaimoana from the reserve again.
This time, he took 12 kina and five crayfish, which were all returned to the water.
Matahiki appeared in the Rotorua District Court this month, where Judge David Cameron sentenced him to two months prison, DoC said in a statement on Wednesday.
Judge Cameron said it was deliberate night-time poaching and a large amount of marine life was taken.
Tong said it's one of the strongest sentences DoC has seen.
"And it sends a clear message; don’t poach from a marine reserve."
Niamh Murphy, principal compliance adviser at Fisheries NZ, said marine reserves are crucial coastal habitats.
"This sentencing is a great result for DoC and highlights the excellent collaboration between DoC, NZ Police, and FNZ."
After years of work, Ngāti Konohi and DoC established Te Tapuwae o Rongokako Marine Reserve in 1999.
It's illegal for anyone to take marine life from a marine reserve under the Marine Reserves Act (1971), with a maximum punishment of three months in prison.
