Two Albany men were apprehended by Western Australia Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) fisheries and marine officers during a patrol last week in Albany for allegedly taking undersize fish and far exceeding legal bag limits.
DPIRD officers stopped one 39-year-old man with 50 cobbler, 15 of which had measured below the minimum legal size of 430 millimetres. The daily bag limit for cobbler is eight.
The alleged offender also possessed 13 blue swimmer crabs, some which had been speared, including one under the minimum size limit of 127 millimetres.
A 32-year-old man fishing in the same area was allegedly found with 17 cobbler including nine that were undersize. He also had five crabs alleged to have been taken by illegal means and 2.75 litres of cockles – exceeding the bag limit of two litres.
On the same night, the fisheries patrol discovered a 58-year-old man from Mount Barker who had allegedly taken 10 blue swimmer crabs, one of which was undersize, with a pointed instrument.
DPIRD Director of Regional Compliance South Noel Chambers said fishers can only catch crabs by hand or using hand-held rigid wire scoop nets, drop nets or hand-held blunt wire hooks. The hooks must not be capable of piercing the crab.
Scoop nets must be bowl-shaped and made of rigid mesh not capable of entangling a crab, have an internal diameter of no more than 375 millimetres, and a depth of no more than 210 millimetres.
“DPIRD’s crabbing for blue swimmer crabs guide advises fishers to measure accurately using a crab gauge available from tackle shops," said Mr Chambers.
“Crabs are measured from the tips of the spikes across the widest part of the crab’s shell. Any undersize crabs should be returned to the water immediately.”
Anyone who witnesses suspicious fishing activity, should call the 24-hour Fishwatch hotline on 1800 815 507 or report the matter via the online form on Crimestoppers.
