Two men charged with using illegal mesh net on Border Rivers

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Two men charged with using illegal mesh net on Border Rivers
04 Jun 2014 - NSW DPI

Two men caught fishing with an illegal 47 metre long meshing net on the Border Rivers between Boggabilla and Texas have been charged and had their boat seized.
“Department of Primary Industries (DPI) Fisheries Officers from Inverell last month apprehended the men, aged 47 and 59, from Minden in South East Queensland,“ DPI Supervising Fisheries Officer Jason Baldwin said.

“The men also had a second monofilament meshing net in their camp site which measured 79 metres in length.

“The men have been charged under the NSW Fisheries Management Act 1994 relating to the unlawful use of a net and the possession of illegal fishing gear. The matter will appear before Boggabilla Local Court in August,” he said.

“Both offences carry a maximum penalty in NSW of $22,000 or imprisonment for 6 months (or both) for a first offence.

“The boat the men used to set the 47 metre meshing net was seized at the time and we are seeking forfeiture of the boat when the matter is heard in court.”

The men may also face sanctions under the Queensland Fisheries Act because the offences occurred on the Border Rivers, where the border between Queensland and NSW is the centre of the river.

Mr Baldwin said meshing nets and gill nets are illegal because they indiscriminately entangle large quantities of fish regardless of the species.

“The mesh entangles all fish above a certain size range and they die within hours,” he said.

“Meshing nets and gill nets, like other illegal fishing gear, can also pose a serious threat to protected fauna such as platypus, turtles, water fowl and some species of reptiles,” he said.

“Both the use and possession by recreational fishers of mesh nets and gill nets in, on or adjacent to NSW waters is strictly prohibited.”

In a separate incident, a 47-year-old man from Goondiwindi has been issued infringement notices totalling $700 for being in possession of 56 fishing lines downstream of Goondiwindi.

The lines comprised of three rods, five illegal drift lines and 48 illegal set lines. The set lines and drift lines were seized by fisheries officers.

The maximum number of lines permitted in NSW waters is two per person and in Queensland waters it is six per person.

Mr Baldwin said drift lines which are also called float lines are totally prohibited in both Queensland and NSW.

“Set lines also commonly referred to as ‘droppers’ have been prohibited in NSW for many years to reduce the high level of impact on target and non-target species,” he said.

“Most native fish caught using set lines, undergo prolonged stress and become easy prey for predators including other larger fish. Many fish become ‘gut hooked’ which, when stainless steel hooks are used, usually proves fatal.”

Fisheries officers across the north west are committed to stopping illegal fishing in northern inland NSW.

Please report any suspect or illegal fishing activity to the Fishers watch hotline on 1800 043 536 or directly to your nearest DPI Fisheries Office.
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[Member]

Here's hoping they throw the book at them and the Court doesn't let us down.

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[Member]

 ..top work hope the lazy buggers go a row

[Member]

Bloody rednecks, throw the book at them.