A Porirua poacher's been sent to jail for two and a half years, after he was found with more than 600 paua, which he intended to sell

Fishery Officers carried out a search warrant at Ruteru Sufia's home in 2022, and found 65 paua in a freezer along with 554 shucked ones in another.

The 63-year-old's been sentenced on five fisheries-related charges and banned from all forms of fishing for three years.

While on bail and awaiting sentencing, he was caught with another 48 paua, 29 of them less than the minimum legal size.