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 western NSW.
NSW Department of Primary Industries Director of Fisheries Compliance, Glenn Tritton said fisheries officers apprehended the men camping on the Macquarie River, near Warren.
“A patrol by NSW DPI fisheries officers of a reserve on the Macquarie River uncovered five men allegedly using and in possession of a range illegal fishing gear,” Tritton said.
“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.
“The four men aged 18, 19, 27 and 28 from Gunnedah and one man aged 28 from Warren were interviewed by fisheries officers.
“The men will now face Warren Local Court on up to 50 offences including use and possession of illegal fishing gear, failure to pay the NSW Recreational Fishing Fee and using live fin fish illegally as bait.”
Tritton said the offences were detected on the same day that 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.
A summary of the State’s recreational fishing rules can be viewed online at www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/fisheries.
