Community work for lobster thief

Thirty-one lobster were taken from the marine reserve in Gisborne. Photo / Department of Conservation

An Alexandra man has been sentenced to 200 hours' community work for taking 31 spiny rock lobster from a marine reserve.

Sythe Harris faced the joint charge under the Marine Reserves Act for taking the rock lobster from the Te Tapuwae O Rongokako Marine Reserve in Gisborne on November 20 in 2014.

The 26-year-old was also charged with possession of a pipe for consuming methamphetamine in Gisborne on the same date, and driving while disqualified in Auckland on March 23 last year.

Harris' lawyer Liam Collins told the Alexandra District Court today his client had not realised there had been a warrant for his arrest for the Marine Reserves Act charge and he had been "working hard and keeping his nose clean'' for the past year in Alexandra.

Kieran Tohill, representing the Ministry for Primary Industries, said of the 31 rock lobster Harris and an associate had taken, nine were undersize and one was a soft-shell.

Judge Michael Crosbie said Harris and his associate had taken the rock lobster "under the cover of darkness'' using torches and turning off their vehicle's lights to avoid detection.

He said it was vital to denounce such offending and for Harris to realise fishing was only allowed in certain areas.

"There are 44 marine reserves in New Zealand, representing less than 1% of New Zealand's marine environment. Marine reserves are there for a purpose and there are plenty of other places to legitimately get crayfish."

Harris was sentenced to a total of 200 hours' community work on all three charges.

He was disqualified from driving for six months on the disqualified driving charge, and charged $130 court costs on the disqualified driving and Marines Reserve Act charges.