Men caught with 6000 cockles at Lake Macquarie

Two Sydney men will be prosecuted in court after being found last night at Lake Macquarie with more than 6000 cockles - 60 times the daily legal limit.

NSW Fisheries officers, acting on a tip-off from a concerned member of the public, caught the men with seven large containers of cockles at Stingaree Point near Dora Creek.

The Acting Director-General of NSW Fisheries, Paul O'Connor, said the men, aged 40 and 34 from Fairfield, will be summonsed to appear in court on illegal fishing charges.

"This is one of the single largest seizures of cockles in NSW in recent years.

"There is a bag limit of 50 cockles per person per day, and the maximum penalty for exceeding this limit is an $11,000 fine and/or three months jail.

"As each man was legally allowed to collect 50 cockles, their catch of more than 6000 meant they each had 60 times the legal limit."

The NSW Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries, Ian Macdonald, said the case showed that people who break the State's fishing laws can expect to be caught and prosecuted.

" Our State's fisheries are a community-owned resource. We all have a responsibility to protect and safeguard this natural asset for present and future generations," Mr Macdonald said.

"Illegal fishing threatens valuable fish stocks, undermines licensed commercial fishers and the regional economies they support, and endangers the health of consumers who eat seafood.

"Illegal fishers make their profits at the expense of law-abiding fishers and thwart the NSW Government's efforts to maintain and enhance fish stocks."

Anyone concerned about illegal fishing should contact their local NSW Fisheries office or the Fishers' Watch number 1800 043 536.

MEDIA INQUIRIES: Eric Aubert on 8437 4948 or 0419 185 375.