Taupo, June 2 NZPA - A judge today delivered a strong message to seven trout poachers, do it again and you'll be jailed.

In Taupo District Court Judge Chris McGuire sentenced seven Turangi men who had earlier pleaded guilty to gill-netting a total of 49 trout from the Waimarino Stream, near Turangi.

The men were caught by Department of Conservation fisheries rangers on September 6 and September 26 last year when the Waimarino Stream, which is part of the Lake Taupo Sports Fishery, was closed for winter fishing to allow the trout to spawn.

The seven -- Horowai Apanui, 18, Patrick Apanui, 46, Patrick Apanui Jr, 19, Kahukurangi Elwyn Tahau, 20, Conrad Cypress Wall, 18, Sieste Te Hokimain Posthuma, 17 and Jubilee Matiu-Rhys Pitiroi-Ellis, 20 -- were sentenced to 135 hours community service each.

Nets and other equipment used to catch the trout were to be forfeited.

The judge gave each of the men a final warning and said that if they were caught poaching trout again they would more than likely face a term of imprisonment.

The maximum penalty for the offence is one year in prison or up to a $10,000 fine.

All men had said they were gathering the trout for food.

Judge McGuire said that fisheries around the world are in a fragile state and using nets to catch trout was the equivalent of shooting them in a barrel. He said that with a net spread across the stream, the trout which had congregated to spawn had no chance of escape.

Earlier DOC's fisheries area manager, Dave Lumley, told the court that the department issued 200 free fishing licences each year to 30 marae around Lake Taupo to enable hapu to provide trout for tangi and hui.

He said the arrangement had been in place for a long time and was presently under review.

Ngati Tuwharetoa also received a royalty from the sale of fishing licences.

Judge McGuire said it was appropriate that DOC put a mark in the ground and that the public gets the message that the Taupo fishery and other fisheries needed to be protected.

Outside court Mr Lumley said the department was pleased the court recognised that the Taupo fishery was fragile and had given the men a sentence which would hopefully deter similar behaviour.

Earlier this year prominent Maori leader, Raniera Morehu, 55, a Corrections Department iwi liaison officer, pleaded guilty to taking seven trout using a net as well as fishing without a licence and exceeding the maximum daily allowable limit. He was fined $900.