Anglers call for more troops to tackle illegal fishing

ANGLERS in western NSW are calling for more fisheries officers to be based in the Macquarie Region to combat illegal fishing. Hundreds of signatures have also been obtained for a petition requesting for additional compliance staff to be deployed to the region.

Anglers say that with just three compliance staff posted to the Macquarie region (which by land equates to 20 per cent of NSW) it is no wonder illegal drum nets, gill nets, setlines/droppers are all too common in the Macquarie region – and a lack of respect and understanding of the current rules and regulations is quite common.

After a NSW Department of Primary Industries (NSW DPI) media release in March stated that Fisheries compliance in the Macquarie district was improving with figures showing an 84 per cent compliance rate for the district, local rec fishers are questioning the figures.

Fishing writer Matt Hansen told Fisho he asked the NSW DPI to comment on how compliance figures were generated, and after seven weeks and repeated emails requesting information, was given a partial response to some questions raised.

Hansen says he asked a DPI spokesperson from the DPI what the process is for fisheries officers to judge an angler as being “compliant” or “non-compliant” in the Macquarie Region. He told Fisho the response was, “Fisheries officers use a range of tactics to detect illegal fishing. This includes covert surveillance, land and water based inspections of catch, fishing gear and licensing requirements”.

When asked how many anglers were assessed by fisheries officers as to being compliant or non-compliant in the past year, Hansen said he received no response.

 
An illegal drum net collected by the Dubbo Cubs group on Clean Up Australia Day.
Image: Matt Hansen

 
Illegal dropper rigs found in the Macquarie River. Image: Matt Hansen

Fisho yesterday contacted NSW DPI in relation to Matt Hansen’s comments and received the following response from NSW DPI’s Director of Fisheries Compliance, Glenn Tritton.

“The comments made by Matt Hansen are disappointing and undermine the valuable work our fisheries officers continually achieve across the Macquarie district,” Tritton said.

“Our fisheries officers work together across the State to safeguard our fisheries resources.

“Strategic and targeted patrols are regularly undertaken across the Macquarie district by fisheries officers from the Macquarie Fisheries Office.

“Fisheries officers from adjoining districts assist during peak periods of fishing activity and as part of targeted compliance operations.

“Fisheries compliance has been improving across the Macquarie region in recent years and fisheries officers will continue to work with fishers to optimise compliance with the fisheries rules through the delivery of enforcement and education programs.”

Tritton concluded by outlining the following examples of recent prosecutions and offences detected in the Macquarie region:

· Over the Easter long weekend fisheries officers checked 422 anglers in the North West Zone (includes the Macquarie district). Of these 55 anglers were found to be non-compliant with the regulations, committing a total of 61 offences.

· Five men are facing up to 50 fisheries offences after they were allegedly found in possession of a large quantity of fishing gear by fisheries officers in February near Warren. Fisheries officers seized 90 rigged handlines, 54 illegal traps, 11 drift lines, six yabby nets and two illegal cast nets. In addition the men were allegedly found to be using live carp as bait and two of the men had failed to pay for a NSW Recreational Fishing Licence.

· Warren Local Court sentenced a 43 old ex-Dubbo man to a four months suspended jail sentence and fined him $5,000 plus $324 in professional costs for a number of illegal fishing offences in February 2012. This brings the total fines issued to the four men in relation to this matter to over $17,000. One man also received 450 hours of community service and the boat was forfeited to the State.

· A covert operation carried out by fisheries officers in January on the Lachlan River has detected a number of serious offences including the use of large illegal fish traps and using set lines. Seized items included a number of fish traps discovered in the rivers with one very large heavily constructed illegal trap brought back to base. The large steel trap was found in Booberoi Weir downstream of Kiacatoo and was over 2.5 metres long.