From the Department of Primary Industries

Tuesday February 19 2008

UNDERSIZE SNAPPER HIDDEN IN FISHING BOAT

Fisheries Officers seized 90 hidden, undersized snapper during a routine patrol at Newport last night.

Two fisheries officers were at the Newport boat ramp at about ten o’clock as a vessel with four occupants was being retrieved from the water.

They inspected the vessel and found 13 legal sized snapper on open display.

Believing there may be more fish on board the officers directed the vessel to a side area and began an inspection of the boat’s storage areas.

The officers instructed the owner of the vessel to provide access to a secured hatch.

The officers will allege the owner of the vessel then refused access to the hatch and became 'somewhat difficult' to deal with.

The owner of vessel was then reminded of Fisheries Officers' powers, in respect to inspection.

When the secure deck hatch was eventually unscrewed a further 93 snapper were found in 3 separate bags, 90 of them undersized.

The current bag limit for snapper is 10 of which no more than 3 fish may equal or exceed 40cm. The minimum legal length is 28cm.

A 6M fibreglass boat, 107 snapper and 10 fishing rods and reels were seized. The four men will be charged on summons with fisheries offences.

The Director Field Services Fisheries Victoria Mick Hodder said “Fisheries staff , both uniformed and plain clothed, carry out regular patrols of fishing areas in Port Philip Bay to monitor fishing activities.

“I encourage members of the public who see illegal fishing activity to call the 24 hour reporting line, 13-FISH (13-3474)”