Doing the wrong thing has consequences as two South Australian fishermen recently found out in the Naracoorte Magistrates Court when they were convicted by the Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA) for breaching Commonwealth fisheries regulations.
Mr David Brooks was charged with covering a mandatory on board electronic monitoring camera on the vessel Gabo Bay. Electronic monitoring was introduced by AFMA to monitor fishing activity in the Southern eastern Scalefish and Shark Fishery (SESSF). Mr Brooks was found guilty and fined $500. Electronic monitoring is a system of video cameras and sensors capable of monitoring and recording commercial fishing activities, which can be reviewed later to verify what fishers report in their fishing logbooks.
In a second matter heard, Mr Craig Lawrie was charged for failing to report an interaction with a dolphin on board the vessel Cutting Edge in the SESSF. Mr Lawrie was convicted and fined $3000. The Cutting Edge was also excluded from fishing with gillnets in the Coorong Dolphin Zone (part of the SESSF) for a 12 month period, from 1 March 2016 to 28 February 2017.
AFMA’s General Manager Operations, Peter Venslovas said that AFMA takes monitoring and reporting of Commonwealth fisheries seriously and those found trying to avoid AFMA’s strict monitoring arrangements, will be caught.
“Australians can be proud that Commonwealth fisheries are subject to some of the best monitoring and compliance arrangements in the world,” Mr Venslovas said.
“Not reporting interactions with protected species, or trying to hide information from AFMA is a serious breach and one that we don’t take lightly.
“AFMA considers the sustainability of the whole marine environment when making decisions and all operators are required by law to report interactions with protected species like dolphins.”
For more information on Commonwealth fisheries rules and regulations, visit afma.gov.au.