A fisheries compliance operation conducted over the June long weekend in south west NSW indicates fishos are getting the message about fishing rules and regulations.
According to the Minister for Primary Industries, Steve Whan, “More than 850 fishers were checked by fisheries officers in south west NSW to ensure they were following the rules.”
“There was a significant improvement in the compliance rate during this operation compared to the 2009 June long weekend results, which is particularly pleasing.
“Despite the positive results, there were still a number of fishers who were found to be breaching the rules with 26 penalty notices issued over the weekend.”
Penalty infringements ranging from $100 to $500 were issued for a variety of offences including failure to hold a fishing licence, fishing in closed areas, illegal use of fishing equipment and possession of undersized fish.
Industries & Investment NSW Fisheries Compliance Director, Glenn Tritton said fisheries officers targeted Murray crayfish and trout fishing activity during the compliance operation.
“Overall most people checked fishing for Murray crayfish and trout were found to be doing the right thing, however fisheries officers did seize 26 Murray crayfish from the Swan Hill area that were either undersized or females carrying eggs,” Tritton said.
The NSW Murray cray fishing season runs from May to August each year, while trout rivers and streams are closed after the June long weekend until the October long weekend.
A summary of the recreational fishing rules are available at www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/fisheries and in the 2010 NSW Recreational Freshwater Fishing Guide.
