A commercial fisher caught breaking the rules
Note: This content is stored on an archive website and may not be current or accurate. Contact us to clarify.
A commercial fisher has been apprehended allegedly fishing in a closed area and having two of his by-catch reduction devices laced shut rendering them useless.
The 51 year old Evans Head man was caught trawling by Department of Primary Industries (DPI) fisheries officers inside the Ballina juvenile king prawn closure on Saturday night. The closure is located in ocean waters off the mouth of the Richmond River.
Fisheries Manager, Max Withnell, said that there are 10 juvenile king prawn closures in ocean waters between Newcastle and Tweed Heads.
“Juvenile king prawn closures have been introduced at the request of the industry to give juvenile prawns time to grow so that they can be harvested at optimum sizes, improving returns to commercial fishers and the community.
The Ballina juvenile king prawn closure applies for 12 months of the year, providing other benefits including protection of habitat and refuge for other species.
“Illegal fishing in these areas is to the detriment of legitimate commercial fishers, and threatens the sustainability of the fishery” Mr Withnell said.
It is also alleged that the by-catch reduction devices (BRDs) fitted in two of the three trawl nets were laced closed, making them ineffective. BRDs must be fitted to all prawn trawl nets to reduce the incidental capture of small fish, including many species that are important to commercial and recreational fisheries.
The most successful technology allows more than 90 per cent of by-catch to escape from prawn trawls. Apart from reducing waste and helping conserve aquatic resources, BRDs also benefit commercial fishers by reducing the need to sort unwanted catch.
“While it’s important to recognise that most commercial fishers are doing the right thing, it is also important to stress that DPI will not tolerate operators who deliberately break the law.
“Rules like this closure are in place to protect the fishery and in turn the commercial fishing industry,” Mr Withnell said.
It is expected that Court Attendance notices will be issued for the man to appear in Lismore Local Court later this year.