Police are looking for these two men after arresting two others on suspicion of poaching fish.
Police are looking for these two men after arresting two others on suspicion of poaching fish.
Covert cameras at a high-spawning trout stream filmed two men who now stand accused of "pillaging" trout.
Eastern Fish & Game officer Anthony van Dorp said after the bust he could not see a single trout in the stream near Lake Rotoiti.
The stream is closed to all fishing at all times of the year as it is a known spawning area for trout. He said the poaching could have a serious effect on trout numbers in the lake and was "a huge blow".
Two men will appear in court later this month after the ongoing surveillance operation led to the pair, Eastern Bay of Plenty residents, being caught with 29 trout, poached using nets.
More than half of the freshly-killed trout were mature spawning females, with wild fish making up the majority of the haul. It is one of the worst cases of poaching recorded in the area for the best part of a decade, Mr van Dorp said.
"This has the potential to deliver a huge blow to breeding stocks and the future fish population in the area. I went for a walk along the stream [yesterday] and couldn't see a single trout - they'd absolutely pillaged it.
"The message needs to get through to people that poaching ruins it for everyone and while it's devastating to lose this many fish, it's satisfying these individuals will be facing severe penalties."
Penalties for poaching fish during winter spawning season include a maximum of two years' jail or fines of up to $100,000.
Mr van Dorp said the 29 trout recovered were likely to be only a portion of the real numbers taken recently, with his team and police working to identify several other suspects caught in covert video footage.
Two poachers have been caught with nearly 30 fish.
Fish & Game officers are hoping more fish will move into the stream to carry on the important wild spawning needed to keep Lake Rotoiti stocks up.
Mr van Dorp said the stream was a known poaching area. The hidden cameras provide high quality footage used in prosecutions. Eastern Fish & Game staff have ramped up their monitoring of local streams and lakes during the spawning season, using both high-visibility patrolling and sophisticated surveillance equipment.
The bust on Sunday involved police and Fish & Game staff, with two separate lots of fish found after Fish & Game officers spotted a suspicious vehicle parked off the main road.
"Wild spawning trout are very important to the fishery and need to be protected - it's not just the damage done when poachers take spawning trout but the massive damage they do to the trout spawning grounds and trout eggs in the streams," Mr van Dorp said.
"While we're working hard to limit the damage these poachers can do to our fish stocks, we're also keen to hear from any members of the public who see suspicious behaviour near closed areas or spawning streams."
A toll-free number, 0800-poaching (0800 762 244), can be used to report poachers.
The two men will appear in the Rotorua District Court on July 31 charged with a variety of offences.
Two others seen on camera are being sought by police.
