NSW DPI and VFA team up to fight fishing crime

A joint investigation by the Victorian Fisheries Authority and NSW DPI Fisheries has resulted in the most significant penalty relating to a freshwater species in Victoria in the last 20 years.

The investigation found that between 2017 and 2019, a 40-year-old man had illegally netted almost 12 tonnes of golden perch from the Darling River and sold them on 56 occasions for a total of $205,600.

The man was convicted by a NSW court for illegally netting fish from the Darling River, and a Victorian court for selling them to a wholesaler in Melbourne. In March, a penalty order was issued for $205,600. The man had previously been fined $11,000 by a Victorian court and $15,000 by a NSW court, along with forfeiting his boat and equipment.

Victorian Fisheries Authority Director of Education and Enforcement Ian Parks said that the joint operation has successfully disrupted and dismantled the illegal take of native fish from inland waterways. He added that several dangers to the community had been posed by this behaviour.

“The unauthorised use of mesh nets is a danger to fish and wildlife, and seafood caught in this way can be a health risk to consumers. This remains a high priority for Fisheries Officers in both states,” Mr Parks said.

The Victorian Fisheries Authority has announced it will charge a man suspected of a large illegal abalone haul in Brighton.

The individual was apprehended by Fisheries Officers in Greens Point and will be charged on summons with a variety of offences including taking undersize abalone, exceeding the catch limit and possessing a commercial quantity of abalone.

The individual was found to have caught more than 460 abalone, 92 times over than the daily bag limit, which is five abalone per person. 420 of the caught fish were also under the legal minimum size of 10cm.

Fisheries Officers returned all the caught abalone to the water.

Victorian Fisheries Authority Director of Enforcement and Education Ian Parks said two officers were patrolling the intertidal zone one evening when they allegedly observed a man with a speargun continuously diving offshore.

“Additional Fisheries

Officers were called to assist with the apprehension of the man before officers on the scene allegedly saw the man remove a large catch bag from the shallows,” Mr Parks said.

“The man proceeded to allegedly place the large catch bag of abalone into the boot of his Toyota and was intercepted as he attempted to leave the car park.”

This apprehension follows another at Greens Point on New Year’s Eve when Fisheries Officers discovered four men who had allegedly harvested 311 abalone, 276 of which were undersize.

If you see or suspect illegal fishing, call the VFA’s 24/7 reporting service, 13FISH (13 34 74), to speak directly to a Fisheries Officer.

You can remain anonymous. – Victorian Fisheries Authority