Source : Perth Now news
Four WA fishers have been slugged a combined $5532 in fines after being caught taking an illegal haul of sea urchins and netting in protected waters.
Two Mandurah men were hit with fines of more than $1500 each after taking almost four times the legal limit of sea urchins from an inter-tidal reef near the Port Denison Marina.
A 61-year-old Silver Sands man was fined $1604 in Geraldton Magistrates Court for taking 78 sea urchins in October last year — 58 over the daily bag limit.
A 52-year-old Falcon man, who was with him, was fined $1504 after taking 73 sea urchins, exceeding the legal limit by 53.
The daily bag limit for sea urchins in WA is 20 per person.
In a separate prosecution, two Geraldton men were fined a combined $2424 after they were caught illegally netting in the closed waters of the Greenough River.
Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development fisheries officers spotted the pair using a 50m haul net to catch six sea mullet, one yelloweye mullet and an undersized black bream in December.
The Greenough River is closed to all net fishing.
When officers moved in, the pair tried to hide the net in nearby bushland.
Officers also found an undersized mulloway that had been caught on a fishing rod the previous night.
A 33-year-old Geraldton man was fined $1634 after being convicted of giving a false name, netting in closed waters, taking an undersized black bream and possessing an undersized mulloway.
A 39-year-old Geraldton man was fined $790 for his offences.
DPIRD Regional Compliance Midwest Director Mick Kelly said fishers should be aware of the fishing rules for various species before fishing.
“Taking more than a bag limit allows, taking undersize fish or using a net illegally could threaten the sustainability of our fisheries,” he said.
