Dreamtime Posted September 21, 2008 Share Posted September 21, 2008 They should make an example of theives like this! NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) fisheries officers have apprehended a man allegedly using a meshing net in a recreational fishing haven on Tuross Lake, Minister for Primary Industries Ian Macdonald said today. He said the 49-year-old south coast man was apprehended by fisheries officers during a surveillance exercise targeting illegal netting. "Recreational Fishing Havens are set aside with the key aim of improving recreational fishing opportunities in 30 locations along the NSW coast. "This illegal fishing activity detected by fisheries officers in the Tuross River is another example of NSW DPI's continued commitment to protect the State's fisheries," Mr Macdonald said. NSW DPI District Fisheries Officer Paul Frank, said the offender was detected just after dark by DPI fisheries officers from Narooma and subsequently found with a 136m meshing net set across the Tuross River. "The net was retrieved and a quantity of fish caught in the net was returned to the water alive. "The meshing net, boat and motor were seized by fisheries officers," he said. The man will face court on charges including: taking fish from waters closed to commercial fishing, which carries a maximum penalty of $110,000, six months’ imprisonment or both; possessing fish illegally taken, which carries a maximum penalty of $22,000, six months’ imprisonment or both; and possessing illegal fishing gear on closed waters, which carries a maximum penalty of $22,000, six months’ imprisonment or both. Mr Frank said any information relating to illegal diving or fishing activities should be reported immediately to the nearest NSW DPI Fisheries’ office, or on the Fishers’ Watch Phone line on 1800 043 536. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hodgey Posted September 21, 2008 Share Posted September 21, 2008 ... Mumble, swear, whinge Thankfully they caught the theiving ba$%&rd! Hope he receives a suitable (and hefty) punishment. Thanks for that Carl Cheers Hodgey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squizzytaylor Posted September 21, 2008 Share Posted September 21, 2008 Ironically, I also heard a report of a 250 metre gill net being found in the southern area of lake Macquarie by Waterways in the last week or two as well. No luck catching the wally that put it there though! Geoff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Camoman Posted September 22, 2008 Share Posted September 22, 2008 lock him up, with all of those charges being separately jailable they better bl@@dy give him some time to think about wot he was doing... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PM79 Posted September 22, 2008 Share Posted September 22, 2008 (edited) It's disgusting and he deserves to be punished but could you imagine having each jail sentenced applied? You'd be inside for 18 months and there is no telling what could happen in jail, it's hardly fair to put a persons life at risk due to what he's been caught doing. Give him the fines I say. Edited September 22, 2008 by reLapse Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flatty hunter626 Posted September 22, 2008 Share Posted September 22, 2008 It's disgusting and he deserves to be punished but could you imagine having each jail sentenced applied? You'd be inside for 18 months and there is no telling what could happen in jail, it's hardly fair to put a persons life at risk due to what he's been caught doing. Give him the fines I say. i think that he should be chuked in jail he did the crime that he knew was illegal but did it anyway!!!!.....what ever he gets is his own!!!.....hows about they put him in a net underwater and see how long he lasts........... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seacow Posted September 23, 2008 Share Posted September 23, 2008 It's disgusting and he deserves to be punished but could you imagine having each jail sentenced applied? You'd be inside for 18 months and there is no telling what could happen in jail, it's hardly fair to put a persons life at risk due to what he's been caught doing. Give him the fines I say. I hear your point however I think we should look at the number of practicalities. The odds are this person is most probably not going to be able to afford the fines in the first place eventhough as a first offence they most probably will be 2/5's of F&^% All. Jail would unfortunately not even be considered an option for a crime of this nature and if it was the sentence would most probably served concurrently. Pity! Lets also have a look at the other people that could have been injured by the callous and repeated if not caught, actions of this person. 1. Those fishermen that earn a living from the river taking us recreational fishos to catch the big flathead and bream in the waters. 2. The tourism dollar plumeting because of the lack of fish in the system. 3. The environment - with a net of that size pulverising and removing all the sea grasses and cover like they did to Botany Bay for so many years. 4. The sad faces on those kids who sit and fish for hours and not get anything. 5. The sad look on my face when I don't get to see and hear Hodgeys great stores and tips. I'm not saying this person should be thrown in jail and have the key thrown away - they should have to make restitution to those persons who could and would have been adversly affected by their actions. The fishos, the fishing clubs, the Tourism Parks the kids and the environment. Make these people realise the consequences of their actions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flatty hunter626 Posted September 23, 2008 Share Posted September 23, 2008 he needs to be made an example of...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laredo Posted September 23, 2008 Share Posted September 23, 2008 unbelievable. what a heartless %%%%% Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daleyboy Posted September 30, 2008 Share Posted September 30, 2008 Reminds me of a time about 20yrs ago when i was fishing in brisbane waters with my mate and his dad in their tinny. We were fishing out in between the breakwall and the railway bridge at gosford and we kept getting snagged up on something. Finally me mates old man hooks up to it with his big rod and starts dragging it in, low and behold it was a gill net, we spent about 20 mins hauling in about 20M or so worth and got a bucket of fish out of it then we went home and called fisheries and told em all about it. About a month later there was an article in the paper about it saying that it was over 150M in length all up .. but apparently there were no fish in it when they retrieved it??? No doubt the fisheries officers had a good bbq that night Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sydharbourfisho Posted October 8, 2008 Share Posted October 8, 2008 Instead of putting him away, they should fine him and with that money he should serve a minimum of 500hrs of community service whereby he goes about helping reproduce in the lake what he had taken. For example, cleaning up rubbish and other helpful measures.. By just sending him to jail you're not fixing the problem... but rather just covering it with a band aid.. and I'm sure that if it was YOU who was caught doing such a thing YOU wouldn't want to go to jail for a year or more because you were illegally netting .. Jesus.. imagine what people in jail would think of you.. they'd push you around more often just because you are a sheer idiot..haha Justice should be served with reproducing what has been taken not by taking away the actual problem.How do you know his little son won't go out tonight to set another net up so he can keep the family's head above water? Just put yourself in their shoes... God knows why he was doing such a stupid thing and it was just to his bad luck that he was caught. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WANNAFISH Posted October 8, 2008 Share Posted October 8, 2008 That would be the guy`s most expensive, hard earned fish and no fish at the end. GOOD ON YA FISHERIES! WELL JOB DONE! As for the culprit, GO AND SUCK A COW!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
forliano Posted October 8, 2008 Share Posted October 8, 2008 Here's hoping to justice being served Cheers Ben Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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