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NEWSFLASH
18-09-2001, 01:34 PM
Unattended Nets Draw $700 Fine for Rosslyn Bay Fisher

A YEPPOON commercial fisher, Alwyn Edward Inslay, has been convicted and fined $700 plus $60.25 court costs for leaving set nets unattended off Double Head at Rosslyn Bay.
At Yeppoon Court yesterday (September 13), Department of Primary Industries Queensland Boating and Fisheries Patrol prosecuting officer, Shaun Pobar, told Magistrate Anne Hennessy that three unattended nets were located at Double Head on the night of March 13 this year.
Incorporated into the same fine, Mr Inslay was also convicted of allowing an unlicenced person to be involved in the fishing operation.
Mr Pobar said the commercial fishing industry must understand and comply with Fisheries Act legislation which states that fishers must remain within 800 metres of set nets.
"The legislation was in place to ensure any accidental by-catch of protected marine species such as turtle, dugong or porpoise can be immediately released without drowning," said Mr Pobar.
Mr Pobar said Rosslyn Bay was in an area with a high exposure to boating activity, recreational fishing and tourism. He said commercial fishers needed to acknowledge that their operations were open to public scrutiny, a factor that added further pressure toward ensuring industry compliance with Fisheries legislation.