News Release January 16th, 2009
Commercial fisherman fined $10,000 for fishing in marine park santuary zone
A commercial fisherman has been fined $10,000 by the Narooma Local Court for fishing in a marine park sanctuary.
Marine park rangers caught the 43-year-old fisherman, from Ulladulla, fishing in the Bullengella Lake-Corunna Lake Sanctuary Zone in the Batemans Marine Park, on the South Coast, in September last year.
The fisherman admitted he was a commercial fisherman and had caught Maori Wrasse and Red Rock Cod in the sanctuary that morning. Some of the fish were still alive and were put back into the ocean.
The fisherman said the fish he had caught he had intended to sell at the Sydney Fish Markets.
A spokesperson for the NSW Department of Environment and Climate Change said the court had recognised the seriousness of the matter.
“The marine park rangers considered this infringement too serious to be dealt with by way of on-the-spot fine and the court accepted that the fisherman was familiar with the area, despite saying he was not aware he was in a sanctuary zone.
“Fishing in the Bullengella Lake – Corunna Lake Sanctuary Zone has the potential to harm the marine creatures that live in that zone. The potential for harm extends to the whole local food chain - populations that rely upon marine fauna as a source of food, or that may have ecological relationships with marine fauna within that protected area.
“The maximum penalty the Local Court could have awarded in this case was $20,000, so this is a significant fine and should act as a deterrent to any others thinking of fishing in marine park sanctuaries, not only in Batemans Marine Park, but in any of the six marine parks in NSW.”
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