This week (18 December) in the Carnarvon Magistrates Court, three men were collectively issued fines and costs totalling $5,818.10 and given mandatory additional penalties of $5,040 stemming from the operation. One of the men has also been prohibited from entering Miaboolya Fish Habitat Protection Area for three months.
Operation Eastburn has netted court fines of more than $93,000 plus additional court costs of more than $7,300 in prosecutions of 21 individuals, including several repeat offenders. The offences occurred in a range of areas north, south, and even 70km east of Carnarvon.
In addition to the significant financial penalties, more than 100 illegal traps and nets along with other fishing gear has been seized and destroyed. In two cases, vessels and motors were also seized, with one of the boats forfeited to the department.
The successful methods and technology used by DPIRD Fisheries officers during the Operation to apprehend offenders at any time of day or night will continue to be used to protect fish resources in the Gascoyne River and its associated creek systems.
Monday’s court matters involved a Carnarvon man who cooked undersize green mud crabs aboard his dinghy at an isolated section of Miaboolya Creek. The man deliberately disposed of the undersize crabs when approached by Fisheries officers, despite being instructed not to touch them.
Another matter involved a Carnarvon man, who was prosecuted last year for using illegal crab traps to catch far more than the daily bag limit of green mud crabs and for also keeping undersize crabs. He was caught again using the same type of illegal crab traps and methods he used previously.
Supervising Fisheries and Marine Officer Matt Clarke said DPIRD was looking towards new ways to better deter and penalise offenders.
“The department can apply to suspend boat fishing licenses and prohibit offenders being aboard recreational boats or entering creek systems as part of the requested penalties when we prosecute these types of offences in the local area,” Mr. Clarke said.
“The damage caused by illegal fishing practices on local creek systems in the Miaboolya Fish Habitat Protection Area is significant, as the green mud crab population is right on the southern end of its distribution here in Carnarvon.”
Find out more about the important Miaboolya Beach FHPA here.
The recreational fishing rules for Western Australia are also available online.
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