Jag a fish and catch yourself a fine

Fishers on the NSW North coast are being warned that the practice of fish jagging or foul hooking will not be tolerated.

Industry & Investment NSW Director Fisheries Compliance, Glenn Tritton said the warning follows reports of a spate of illegal fish jagging between South West Rocks and Tweed Heads.

“Fish jagging is an illegal activity used by unscrupulous fishers where by a treble hook and weight are retrieved with a jerking action in an effort to foul hook a fish from a dense school,” Mr Tritton said.

“This method is prohibited in NSW as it can cause substantial injuries to fish that are not actually captured.

“Fish jagging is also extremely dangerous to people on the rock walls or other locations, as often the hook and weight end up hurtling out of the water with great force back towards the fisher and any bystanders.”

Hooking or attempting to hook a fish other than through the mouth is called jagging or foul hooking, and is an illegal fishing method.

“This not only causes unnecessary suffering to the fish that are jagged, but the hook rips through the entire school and can harm a significant number of fish with each cast and strike,” Mr Tritton said.

"Fisheries Officers will be patrolling known hot spots for jagging and will not hesitate to issue on the spot fines for anyone found breaking the rules.

“Offenders are also liable for their catch and gear to be seized, as well as having to answer charges in court for serious offences.”

A summary of the recreational fishing rules for NSW coastal areas are available at www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/fisheries, and in the 2010 NSW Recreational Saltwater Fishing Guide.

The free guides are available from Industry & Investment NSW offices, and fishing licence agents, as well as bait and tackle shops.

Anyone witnessing illegal fishing activity should report it immediately to their local Industry & Investment NSW Fisheries Offices or the Fisher’s Watch Line on 1800 043 536.

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