In Shark Bay Magistrates Court last week, a fisher was ordered to pay $4,645.30 for having more than the maximum allowable weight of finfish fillets.
The 47-year-old Melville man entered an endorsed plea of guilty but did not appear in court.
He was apprehended by Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) compliance officers at his campsite at Shelter Bay last August when he was in possession of 19.62 kilograms of frozen finfish fillets.
The maximum allowance of finfish fillets is 10 kilograms.
New limits introduced at the beginning of July last year were aimed at addressing community concerns and to provide increased protection for demersal scalefish. They were also a response to increased visitation of regional areas in WA during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The revised rules limit fishers to a possession maximum of 10 kilograms of finfish fillets per trip, which still provides a generous feed of fish for a person and their family.
Frequently asked questions about trip limits are available on the DPIRD Fisheries website at: wa_statewide_recreational_fishing_rule_changes_faq_2021.pdf
The new rules had been in place for more than seven weeks when the offence at Shark Bay occurred.
DPIRD Supervising Fisheries and Marine Officer Jack Dawson said the possession limit for finfish sought to reduce the impact of increased fishing pressure on fish stocks across Western Australia.
“The Shark Bay region attracts lots of recreational fishing activity all year round so we need to ensure the rules are respected,” Mr Dawson said.
“As compliance officers our role is to uphold community standards, represented by WA’s fishing rules that are part of sustainable fisheries management to ensure there’ll be fish for the future.”
Illegal fishing is a potential threat to sustainability, so FishWatch is available 24/7 ready to take calls from anyone with concerns or suspicions – call 1800 815 507 to report what you’ve seen.