30 July 2008

Two commercial fishers pleaded guilty and were fined in the Mackay Magistrates Court yesterday (29 July) for fishing related offences in protected areas on the Great Barrier Reef.

Yesterday’s court results are among several recent cases involving commercial fishers convicted of illegal fishing on the Reef; the highest court result in recent weeks was a $40,000 fine in June.

These court cases follow widespread investigations conducted as a result of detections from the recently enhanced Customs Coastwatch operations.

Mick Bishop from the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority said the outcome of the court cases highlighted the seriousness of fishing related offences in protected areas on the Reef.

“We’re carrying out widespread investigations into illegal fishing on the Great Barrier Reef and court outcomes like these highlight the seriousness of these offences,” he said.

“We believe most commercial operators are doing the right thing as they realise sustainable fishing is important, but it’s disappointing that some commercial fishers continue to break the law.

“Illegal fishing undermines both the efforts of those commercial operators who are following the rules and the environmental benefits protected areas will have for fishing in the future.”

It also appears at odds with what the commercial fishing industry are looking  to pursue - the Queensland Seafood Industry Association recently announced three of its four Environmental Management Systems.

The Environmental Management Systems aim to provide an adaptive framework for continuous improvement and reporting of the seafood industry’s environmental performance.

Illegal fishing can be reported to the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority on (07) 4726 0510 (during business hours) and (07) 3830 8246 (after hours).

 Specific details:

• A commercial reef line fisher was convicted of fishing in a Green Zone near Storm Cay in the western Swains on 10 September 2007. He was fined $10,000 and ordered to pay court costs of $68.60.
• A commercial reef line fisher was convicted of having his dory unattached from its mother vessel in a Green Zone near Kangaroo Reef on 15 September 2007. He was fined $1250 and ordered to pay court costs of $68.60.