johnno Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 Three men have been caught by fisheries To the other anglers at the boat ramp they would have just been three fishos destined to buy pizza for dinner after a dud day on the water.There was no sign of a day's catch in their 5.3m fibreglass trailer boat. But when NSW Fisheries officers pulled over the trio as they left Shellharbour ramp on the Illawara Coast, the truth was revealed. Hidden under a false floor were 46 tasty yellowtail kingfish, all under the legal size limit, allegedly destined for the black market in premium seafood. Primary Industries Minister Ian Macdonald said the discovery of the false floor was a unique experience for the Fisheries officers. The three men made the false floor at the bow of their half-cabin boat from plywood, with outdoor carpet on top. Stacked over the carpet were life jackets, wet weather gear and tackle boxes. Amongst the jumble of gear was a device known as a teaser - a hookless wooden lure painted and covered in reflective tape, used to attract the inquisitive juvenile kingfish to their lines. The 46 kingfish found last week ranged from 47cm to 60cm. The daily bag limit for kingfish is five per angler and the minimum size limit rose from 60cm to 65cm in 2007. A Shell Cove man, 56, a Castlereagh man, 43, and a Eugowra man, 31, face charges of exceeding bag limits and possession of prohibited size fish and face fines up to $11,000. photos see link below http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/stor...5001021,00.html big to fisheries for protecting our waterways Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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