Illegal koura case shames prominent Maori family

By KELLY BLANCHARD in Rotorua
Alfred Morehu says he regrets being involved in a massive illegal commercial koura operation because he has brought shame to his prominent Ngati Pikiao family.

Mr Morehu was to be sentenced in the Rotorua District Court yesterday after admitting he gained nearly $30,000 by illegally harvesting freshwater crayfish from Lake Rotoma over a seven-month period last year.

However, Judge Chris McGuire adjourned the sentencing until July 18 because he wanted more information.

Judge McGuire said care needed to be taken because any sentence would be setting a precedent given it was the first prosecution of its kind in New Zealand.

Mr Morehu, a 43-year-old manager formerly from Rotorua but now living in Australia, has pleaded guilty to seven charges of illegally selling koura.

His company, Mataura Native Ltd, and business partner, Justin Haronga Te Kowhai, 34, have denied the charges and will appear again in court on July 5.

Mr Morehu was involved in harvesting koura from Lake Rotoma and selling it to a distributor who then sold them to a wide client base, including upmarket hotels and restaurants.

Mr Morehu's lawyer, Louis Te Kani, said in his submissions yesterday that Mr Morehu came from a prominent Ngati Pikiao family.

"This matter may tarnish the respect that this man's family is held in ... He is worried what the repercussions his actions will have on his family. That lies uppermost in his mind."

Mr Te Kani also said his client made every effort to get permission from Ngati Pikiao elders and the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries.

"He has told me that he thought he had obtained all the necessary consents. He had met with Ngati Pikiao elders who had consented to their venture. Up until the Department of Conservation asked him to stop, he thought their venture had the approval of the relevant government agencies."

The maximum penalty Mr Morehu faces is a $35,000 fine.

Department of Conservation lawyer Mike Bodie said in his submissions yesterday that Mr Morehu had already paid $2000 and the department was happy with that amount.

Judge McGuire said he was confused why the department settled for a $2000 fine, saying surely that was not enough of a deterrent when the illegal operation yielded at least $28,000.He said there were too many unanswered questions to go ahead with sentencing and adjourned the matter until he had more information.