A Tauranga commercial fisher will spend the next 12 months on home detention for his part in a black-market fishing operation.

Wayne Terrence Howell was convicted under the Fisheries Act 1996 of making false statements in fishing returns for a benefit.

Trawler New Fish II 4363.

He was sentenced to 12 months home detention and 200 hours of community service in Tauranga District Court.

The court also ordered forfeiture of the Newfish II 4363 - the Tauranga-based commercial trawler being used by Howell at the time of the offences in 2011.

In delivering his sentence, Judge Ingram referred to recent substantial publicity regarding fish stocks that has led the authorities to consider altering catch limits.

The Judge said Howell's efforts contributed to a situation where the community has to take less than nine fish (snapper) because of people who take fish for illegal profit.

Judge Ingram also told the court he wanted to send a strong message the community is not prepared to condone the pillage of public stocks for private gain.

Newfish II 4363 was the focus of the two-month long Operation Waterfowl by the Ministry of Primary Industries, says Waikato/Bay of Plenty Compliance Manager Brendon Mikkelsen.

MPI estimates 13 tonnes of catch, primarily snapper, was disposed of on the black-market to outlets at Tauranga, Hamilton and Auckland.

Operation Waterfowl detected offenders in every link of the black-market chain including commercial fishers, truck drivers, first receiver, onto second receivers of the illegal fish, including fish shops and takeaway businesses.

Wayne Terrence Howell joins other convicted Operation Waterfowl defendants - Western Bay Seafood's Limited, Hira Cyril Noble, Jason Lionel Abbott, Lay Queen Lim and Tuan Tran.

One remaining defendant is currently before the Tauranga District Court.

Mr Mikkelsen says it is in interest of the global fishing community that the New Zealand Quota Management System should work effectively and be shown to do so - both through the maintenance of fish stocks and through the detection and punishment of offenders such as these people.

"The actions of these offenders has threatened the integrity of the QMS,” says Brendon.

'It has also given them an unfair commercial advantage over law-abiding operators and threatened fish stocks such as the snapper fishery in the Bay of Plenty.

'And they have threatened to sabotage the best tool yet devised to enable New Zealand and the global community to protect and enhance fish stocks," he says.

"New Zealand's QMS relies on the accurate and timely reporting of all fish that is commercially caught, landed and sold."

"Deliberate under-declaring of fish landed and disposed of on the black-market amounts to stealing from all sectors of the fishing community.”

"MPI will continue to utilise all compliance tools and resources to ensure this type of criminal offending does not go undetected to ensure the future sustainability of the fishery."

Brendon encourages fishing industry operators and non-commercial fishers to report any suspected illegal activity through the Ministry's 0800 4 Poacher number (0800 4 76224).

"All calls are treated in the strictest confidence and the information we receive helps stamp out any illegal fishing and helps ensure we have a sustainable fishery for future generations."