An Auckland pair who tried to sell crayfish online have been sentenced to five months community detention and 140 hours community work.
Fisheries NZ say the pair were initially found with 222 crayfish in July 2020 at a checkpoint in northern Hawke's Bay.
"They noticed the inside smelled strongly of seafood and called in Fishery Officers, who inspected the vehicle, finding four bins of crayfish including 193 spiny red of which 34 were under size. They also found 29 under size pack horse crayfish, two crayfish carrying eggs and one with a broken pleural spine," Fisheries NZ outlined in a media release on Thursday.
"Additionally, the MPI investigation uncovered evidence of past online black-market sales of 277 additional crayfish by the pair."
After a successful prosecution, Kim Te Ohorere Ormond-Daniel, 24, and Edmond Taena Angell, also 24, were sentenced in the Papakura District Court on Monday.
"They pleaded guilty to seven joint charges under the Fisheries Act, including a charge of previously selling 277 spiny red crayfish online."
As well as the home detention and community service sentence the pair also had the vehicle used to transport the crayfish forfeited to the Crown.
The daily catch limit for crayfish in the Hawke’s Bay area is six per person.
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