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Media release from Eastern Fish & Game

Poacher Cams Working Overtime In Bay of Plenty

Trout poachers be warned – ‘poacher cams’ will catch you in the act – at any hour of the day or night. 

Eastern Fish & Game officers have seen a rise in the number of poaching incidents - caught on  hidden camouflaged cameras which are stationed at ‘hot spots’ on some key spawning streams.

Fish & Game Officer Anthony van Dorp says they're investigating a string of incidents, but declines to give details for “operational” reasons.

“What I can say is we’ve captured some excellent images and are now working with Police to identify the offenders, and we want to enlist the public to help stamp out the potential threat to the local economy.

He says Rotorua’s world-renowned trout fisheries are always more sensitive during spawning season, now well underway, when the taking of spawning trout can have a serious impact on future trout numbers. Poachers also trample on spawning beds and destroy eggs already laid in the stream, which can seriously impact on future trout stocks from wild spawning.

“Our message to poachers is that you might think you’ve got away with it but you never know when that knock on the door is going to come,” Mr van Dorp says.  “That trout you poached just isn’t worth the repercussions you’ll face if you’re prosecuted – it could be the most horrendously expensive trout of your life.” Poachers can also have any vehicles used seized and have even been disqualified from driving by the courts.   

Poachers face fines of up to $10,000 and a years  imprisonment if caught, with judges adopting a hard line on offenders brought before them over recent years for such offending. Fish & Game staff frequently work together with Police on anti-poaching operations.

In one recent case, Fish & Game staff and Police seized a set net from a section of the upper Ngongotaha River on Paradise Valley Road, following a joint surveillance operation with Police.  A suspect has been identified and officers are continuing their enquiries.

“The suspect here probably thought he was on private property and had no idea he was being watched,” Mr van Dorp said. “They have to realise the damage they are doing to the fishery which generates a lot of income for the local economy through our trout fisheries and associated tourism.

Fish & Game officers were also startled to pull a large trout out of their Lake Tarawera fish trap to discover what they first thought was a fishing fly stuck in its back.

On a closer examination they found a 90mm length of metal sticking out – which turned out to be the broken-off point of a poacher’s spear.

“The poor fish had managed to escape with the barb still sticking into his flesh – the wound was quite fresh,” Mr van Dorp said. “Yet another ugly example of poachers at work.”

Please help us by reporting suspicious or obviously illegal behaviour – on 0800 POACHING, he adds.

Nearly all Eastern Region fisheries remain open until the end of June, when some upper reaches of rivers close to protect spawning trout and some lakes close to boat-based fishing.  This gives fish a chance to grow and be in high numbers for the spring opening. Local regulations can be checked on the Fish & Game website’s Eastern pages.

ENDS

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