Snapper closure a success... but
Tuesday 4 December, 2007
PIRSA Fisheries has congratulated commercial and recreational fishers for the level of compliance with the annual snapper closure, which ended at midday, Friday, 30 November.
Fisheries Officer, using the offshore patrol vessel Southern Ranger, as well as covert vessels, undertook a number of patrols aimed at ensuring compliance with the state-wide closure.
The operation was successful, with Fisheries Officers observing high levels of voluntary compliance by the majority of recreational and commercial fishers.
PIRSA Manager Compliance Services, Mr Paul Tatarelli said it was pleasing to see that, generally, fishers had embraced the concept of the annual closure.
“However a number of breaches were detected,” he added.
Fisheries Officers located one recreational vessel, prior to the re-opening of the season, with 11 snapper weighing a total of 48.8 kilograms. The fish and fishing equipment was seized and two men from Adelaide will be reported.
Other illegal activity recorded, after the snapper season re-opened, included Fisheries Officers observing two commercial fishing vessels with more than the permitted number of agents on board.
Officers ordered the two vessels to return to Wallaroo. All the fish (with a total weight of nearly 890 kilograms) plus fishing equipment was seized and the two commercial fishers, one from Wallaroo and the other from Kadina, and their crews (a total of 8 people), will all be reported.
Three recreational fishers, all fishing from the one vessel, will be reported for exceeding the bag limit of snapper over 60 centimetres.
In this case, six large snapper measuring over 60cm (the maximum boat limit for this species) were in an esky in plain view but a search by officers uncovered another four fish concealed in the bow of the vessel.
Another three recreational fishers, all fishing from the one vessel, will be reported for taking six undersized snapper. In this case, the legal sized fish were kept in one container and all of the undersized fish in a separate container. All fish were seized along with fishing equipment and storage containers.
Mr Tatarelli stressed that these breaches, albeit by a relatively small number of fishers, were unacceptable.
“The types of offences uncovered during this operation suggested that the fishers were aware of the rules but took it upon themselves to break them and took steps to try to avoid detection.
“There were clearly plenty of fish to be caught on the opening day and the greedy actions of this group is an insult to those fishers who abide by the rules.
“Fishers need to be aware that if they take these types of risks, vessels will be searched and the likelihood of being caught is high,” Mr Tatarelli said.
