Chezzy13
31-03-2007, 09:34 AM
Illegal fisherman fined $38,000
http://www.ausfish.com.au/images/general/space.gif
A ******* man was fined more than $30,000 in court on Tuesday morning for selling fish without holding a commercial fishing licence. ******** of , 45, was detected by local Fisheries officers who were on patrol on May 8, 2006 fishing at ******** Beach.
After further investigation, it was found that he had been fishing commercially for quite some time without holding a licence and was also selling the fish.
"The subsequent investigations that followed revealed that Mr **** had been fishing commercially for quite some time without holding a commercial fishing licence - during that time, Mr **** had sold in excess of $14,500 worth of fish," **** compliance services manager *******said.
Mr **** had been selling the produce to registered fish processors in ******
He appeared in ***** Magistrates Court on Tuesday morning for not being the holder of a licence in respect of the fisheries, 38 counts of selling fish without a licence and illegal fishing.
The court imposed a penalty of $8000 for the offence of fishing commercially without a licence and an added penalty of five times the wholesale value of the fish up to a maximum of $30,000.
All up Mr **** was fined $38,000 plus $100 in court costs.
A number of items that were seized on the night he was detected by Fisheries ** were also forfeited by the court to the crown, including his vessel, fishing equipment and the fish that he had caught on that day.
Mr **** began selling the fish without a licence on July 1, 2005 and continued until he was caught in May last year.
Fish processors that purchase produce from an unlicenced commercial fisherman could also technically find themselves in legal trouble, according to Mr******
"The fish processor regulation requires that registered fish processors can only purchase fish from licenced commercial fisheries or other registered fish processors," he said.
Mr ***** said that Mr **** had been commercially fishing for quite some years.
"Technically yes, they (these businesses) could be in trouble but they were acting in good faith that he had a licence and wouldn't be selling without a licence.
"The main issue is that registered fish processors need to ensure they are purchasing fish from a commercial fisher."
Good to sea the fisheries are doing an excellent job out on our waters..I blotted the names out because wasnt sure of rules in putting names and places and things..WOW what a whopper fine :o that was, they certainly come down hard dont they, and good on them, stops all this illegal selling of fish.. You would think the businessess would ask the bloke to provide ID wouldn't you??? Might make people think twice, but then again, thers always more ::)
http://www.ausfish.com.au/images/general/space.gif
A ******* man was fined more than $30,000 in court on Tuesday morning for selling fish without holding a commercial fishing licence. ******** of , 45, was detected by local Fisheries officers who were on patrol on May 8, 2006 fishing at ******** Beach.
After further investigation, it was found that he had been fishing commercially for quite some time without holding a licence and was also selling the fish.
"The subsequent investigations that followed revealed that Mr **** had been fishing commercially for quite some time without holding a commercial fishing licence - during that time, Mr **** had sold in excess of $14,500 worth of fish," **** compliance services manager *******said.
Mr **** had been selling the produce to registered fish processors in ******
He appeared in ***** Magistrates Court on Tuesday morning for not being the holder of a licence in respect of the fisheries, 38 counts of selling fish without a licence and illegal fishing.
The court imposed a penalty of $8000 for the offence of fishing commercially without a licence and an added penalty of five times the wholesale value of the fish up to a maximum of $30,000.
All up Mr **** was fined $38,000 plus $100 in court costs.
A number of items that were seized on the night he was detected by Fisheries ** were also forfeited by the court to the crown, including his vessel, fishing equipment and the fish that he had caught on that day.
Mr **** began selling the fish without a licence on July 1, 2005 and continued until he was caught in May last year.
Fish processors that purchase produce from an unlicenced commercial fisherman could also technically find themselves in legal trouble, according to Mr******
"The fish processor regulation requires that registered fish processors can only purchase fish from licenced commercial fisheries or other registered fish processors," he said.
Mr ***** said that Mr **** had been commercially fishing for quite some years.
"Technically yes, they (these businesses) could be in trouble but they were acting in good faith that he had a licence and wouldn't be selling without a licence.
"The main issue is that registered fish processors need to ensure they are purchasing fish from a commercial fisher."
Good to sea the fisheries are doing an excellent job out on our waters..I blotted the names out because wasnt sure of rules in putting names and places and things..WOW what a whopper fine :o that was, they certainly come down hard dont they, and good on them, stops all this illegal selling of fish.. You would think the businessess would ask the bloke to provide ID wouldn't you??? Might make people think twice, but then again, thers always more ::)