Fishing in Marine Park
A person rang 13FISH after seeing a commercial fisherman set rock lobster pots in a Marine Park.
Fisheries Officers intercepted the man as he was heading back to port.
He admitted to setting 28 pots illegally inside the Park boundaries.
With Officers aboard, he returned to his illegally set pots and retrieved 52 rock lobsters and several fish, all of which were released immediately.
He was later convicted and fined $2,400 in court.
The Magistrate said that if the man re-offended again he risked imprisonment and the suspension of his commercial fishing licence.
Senior Fisheries Officer at the time, Paul Millar, said the outcome was an excellent example of how the public could be proactive in helping protect Victoria’s fisheries.
