FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF PRIMARY INDUSTRIES

‘13 FISH’ PHONE CALL NETS OFFENDERS ON THE YARRA RIVER

Monday, June 29, 2009

A Melbourne couple were fined and their nets seized on Saturday following a phone call from a member of the public to the 13 FISH 24-hour Fisheries reporting line.

Fisheries Officers, who followed up the phone call immediately, received an excellent
description of the offenders and their location in the Docklands area of the Yarra River.

Fisheries Victoria Senior Fisheries Officer Dane Robinson said the officers watched the couple for several hours before intercepting them as they retrieved their nets from the water.

"It is illegal to use commercial fishing equipment in inland waters and to possess commercial fishing equipment unless authorised,” Mr Robinson said.

A man in his 50s and his wife in her 30s were interviewed by the Fisheries Officers before
being issued with several infringement notices.

"The couple were fined a total of $1,474 for possessing commercial fishing equipment and
undersized fish.”

"Two 25-metre illegal mesh nets and an undersized snapper were seized.”

Mr Robinson said that illegally taking fish is one of the biggest threats to the sustainability of Victoria’s valuable fisheries resources.

"Mesh nets used indiscriminately can have a significant impact on our fish stocks and
protected wildlife,” he said.

"Inland waters such as the Yarra River are particularly fragile and could easily be over-fished.

"Offenders such as the couple caught on the weekend, effectively limit legitimate recreational fishers catching those fish in a sustainable manner.”

Mr Robinson said offenders risked significant fines and the seizure of fishing gear and vessels involved in illegal fishing activity.

"It is good to see that a member of the public alerted our officers to this matter and that in this instance, an immediate field response was possible. I urge anyone who sees or suspects illegal fishing activity to call the 24-hour reporting line 13 FISH (13 3474),” he said.