One of two men convicted for large-scale poaching in the Eastern Bay of Plenty – and on the police wanted list – has been released on bail following his arrest, despite Fish & Game opposing bail.

Thomas Tawha, 42, of Kawerau and David Pake Leef, 36, of Te Teko were found guilty in November last year of poaching as many as 60 spawning trout from a highly-valued spawning stream near Lake Rotiti.

Eastern Fish & Game staff and police caught Thomas Tawha and David Leef with 29 trout in July, including 15 mature spawning females. Photo: Fish & Game.

Warrants for their arrest were issued last month when the pair failed to appear in the Rotorua District Court for sentencing.

Tawha was arrested last week and appeared in the Rotorua District Court today before Judge Cooper. His co-offender Leef remains at large.

Tawha was bailed by Judge Cooper to appear for sentencing on April 28.

Eastern Fish & Game Manager Andy Garrick says he can only reiterate that this was some of the worst poaching that officers have dealt with in more than a decade.

In July the pair were caught by Eastern Fish & Game staff and police 'pillaging” trout from a stream leading into Lake Rotoiti - an important trout spawning ground which is closed year round.

Penalties for poaching fish during winter spawning season range from a maximum of two years' in jail or fines of up to $100,000.

More than half of the freshly-killed trout were mature spawning females, with wild fish making up the majority of the haul.

Back in November Judge James Weir rejected the pairs' attempt to refuse the court's jurisdiction and claim customary rights to take the fish, and said these rights did not apply to trout as an introduced species.

In handing down his guilty verdict, Judge Weir said it was a case of what he described as 'ruining a spawning area and slaughtering fish”.

Tawha and Leef had represented themselves and Judge Weir urged them to get legal representation, and warned they could face imprisonment.