A 22-year-old man from Nilgen, north of Lancelin, has been ordered to pay more than $5,700 in Joondalup Court this month for matters related to illegal fishing for marron in the Moore River.
The man was found guilty on three counts of marron fishing in a closed season in September last year, when he was also found in possession of fishing gear within 50 metres of waters where it is prohibited and two counts of fishing for marron using an unlawful method.
The man had been intercepted near the bank of the Moore River, downstream of Regans Ford with a marron scoop net in hand. A vehicle search later located 26 marron in an esky, of which 12 were undersize, and three non-conforming rope mesh drop nets.
The Western Australia Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) reminds fishers that it is illegal to take marron out of season. During the open season between January 8 and February 5, the daily bag limit for licenced fishers is eight marron with a minimum size limit of 80 mm, except South West trophy waters, where the minimum is 90 mm and the bag limit five.
The prosecution also successfully sought forfeiture of the marron nets and equipment.
In a separate matter at Joondalup court, a 36-year-old Lancelin man was found guilty and issued with more than $3,500 in fines and costs for exceeding the boat limit for demersal finfish.
As the master of a vessel, the man was fishing recreationally with one other person in the West Coast Bioregion and was found with eight demersal finfish on board – double the legal boat limit of four.
DPIRD Director Regional Compliance Midwest Mick Kelly said Western Australia’s fishing rules were vital to sustainable fisheries management to ensure there were fish for the future.
“Fishing out of season and taking more than the boat or bag limits is not acceptable to the WA community and could threaten the sustainability of our fisheries,’” Mr Kelly said.