Commercial fisher fronts court

A 37 year old Commercial lobster Fisherman from Milton has been fined more than $4000, and could lose his fishing licence, after pleading guilty to 6 fisheries offences, including one of threatening a fisheries officer.

The man appeared in the Milton Local Court earlier this month (21.12.06) charged with threatening a fisheries officer, two counts of failing to complete his daily lobster log sheet, two of failing to submit monthly reconciliation forms to the Department of Primary Industries (DPI) and one charge of failing to submit a daily log sheet to DPI.

The court heard that the man had been under ongoing observation and that on the 11th August 2005 he was observed at Bendalong by fisheries officers’ commercial lobster diving. He did not complete a daily log sheet as required.

Three months later (24th November 2005) in waters near Ulladulla he was again seen commercial lobster diving. He was approached by DPI Fisheries officers as he left the water. Again he had failed to complete a daily log sheet.

The court heard that while the man was being questioned he threatened a DPI Fisheries Officer after it was discovered that he had failed to submit a number of daily log sheets and monthly reconciliation forms.

He plead guilty to all of the charges and was fined $1200 for threatening a fisheries officer, $600 for each charge of failing to complete his daily log sheet, $600 for failing to submit a daily log sheet to DPI, and $600 for each charge of failing to submit monthly reconciliation forms. He was also ordered to pay $402 in court costs.

The NSW Lobster Fishery is a share managed fishery with each commercial lobster fisher issued with a quota for each year, once this quota has been reached the fisher is unable to legally take any more lobsters unless they can buy unused quota from another fisher.

NSW DPI is able to effectively monitor this through catch records. All Lobsters taken and landed for sale in NSW are tagged with a number which is recorded on the daily log sheet.

The sustainability of this very valuable fishery depends on the accurate and reliable compliance with the quota management system.