A man caught setting crab pots in the Mount Maunganui mataitai reserve in August is to pay $13,000 in fines after he was sentenced in Tauranga District Court this week.

Bruce William Clifford Roberts, a 45-year-old commercial fisher from Mount Maunganui, also faced an obstruction charge after continuing to empty the pots over the side of his boat, despite being told not to by a fishery officer.
Roberts was fined $10,000 for poaching, $1000 for obstruction, and ordered to pay $2000 to redeem his boat, which was forfeited.
Roberts and a Waihi man were caught by night patrols last week when they were coming ashore in the middle of the night at Tanners Point.

'The Ministry of Fisheries has no tolerance for those who sneak out after dark to abuse the fishery,” says Ministry of Fisheries Bay of Plenty/Waikato/Coromandel field operations manager Brendon Mikkelsen.

'It is disappointing that some fishers, both commercial and recreational, appear to be setting out to steal seafood while the rest of us are asleep.

'Luckily, most members of the public think this type of behaviour is completely unacceptable and are quick to let us know what is going on.
'Well-publicised bag and size limits are there to protect the resource and ensure that our children and grandchildren can enjoy the same wonderful access to the fishery that we do.
'We will be maintaining our regular night sea patrols throughout the summer.”

Fisheries will also be relying on their ‘four million guardians'; the majority of New Zealanders who want to see the fishery protected.
'The Waihi man with too many snapper was fined $500.

Brendon urges fishers to learn the rules about bag limits before they go fishing, and pass the knowledge on.

Anyone seeing illegal fishing activity is asked to call the Ministry's 0800 4 POACHER number – 0800 476224.