Diver jailed for marine reserve haul

Gisborne Herald -

A diver has been jailed for 42 days for “brazenly” taking crayfish and shellfish from the marine reserve at Pouawa, after being unable to find fish in open waters.

Dwayne Rangi Lloyd, 30, became only the third person to be jailed in Gisborne for fisheries offending. His 42-day jail term is a record sentence here.

“This is a great day for marine conservation,” said DoC marine ranger Jamie Quirk.

Lloyd pleaded guilty in Gisborne District Court to taking marine life from Te Tapuwae o Rongokako Marine Reserve, possessing undersized rock lobster, possessing rock lobster carrying eggs and possessing rock lobster in excess of the daily limit.

In unrelated offending, Lloyd was convicted of breaching community work and two counts of breaching release conditions.

A co-offender who, unlike Lloyd has previous convictions for fisheries offending, failed to turn up for sentencing.

Judge Tony Adeane said Lloyd’s actions in moving into the reserve after being unable to find marine life elsewhere showed the reason for its existence.

Lloyd and a co-offender took 36 lobsters, of which 14 were undersize, while 14 were females carrying eggs.

They also had six kina and one paua.

The two men were stopped and their vehicle searched as they left the area on May 19, in a joint Ministry of Fisheries-DoC operation.

Morgan Dunn, representing the ministry, said Lloyd and his co-offender were seen diving among the shallow rock pools in full dive suits and snorkels.

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