FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF PRIMARY INDUSTRIES

Friday, December 4, 2009

CALL TO 13 FISH NETS ‘GREEDY’ ILLEGAL FISHERS

A magistrate told a man and two women from Noble Park they were anti-social and greedy, as they were convicted and fined a total of $3,000 for illegal fishing activity.

Frankston Magistrate, Rodney Crisp, also ordered the trio to pay $1,260 each as compensation to the State of Victoria.

The court heard Van Linh PHAN, 52, Cau Thi HUYNH, 49, and Thi Hoa DANG, 41, had used two illegal monofilament mesh nets, with a total length of 200 metres, at Carrum beach on the night of Saturday, June 20, 2009.

Fisheries Officers and Police intercepted the vehicle on the Mornington Peninsula Freeway after a call to the 13 FISH reporting line.

The trio had illegally caught 62 Australian salmon, one silver trevally and a number of sand crabs.

Nets, a vehicle and other equipment were seized.

Phan pleaded guilty to using commercial fishing equipment and illegally possessing fish.

The two women pleaded guilty to possessing commercial fishing equipment and illegally
possessing fish.

Department of Primary Industries (DPI) prosecutor, Harold Roeding, told the court such offences were difficult and expensive to detect and Fisheries Victoria officers relied heavily on the public to report suspicious activity.

Mr Roeding said monofilament nets such as these were extremely efficient and indiscriminate in the capture of fish and were prohibited for use, or possession, in Victoria.

In sentencing the trio Magistrate Crisp said the community cannot support poaching and that type of behaviour is anti social.

He said poaching was greedy and destructive to the fishery.

The Magistrate warned the trio that if they were to re-offend in the future they could look forward to jail sentences and fines in the order of $20,000.

People who see or suspect illegal fishing activity are urged to call the 24-hour reporting line 13 FISH (13 3474).

The 13 FISH reporting service is funded by the Government's $13.5 million Enhanced Recreational Fishing Program.