caught in the act

good result for fisheries &hopefully the word gets around to others who might be tempted

hezzy

http://www.fish.wa.gov.au/About-Us/Media-releases/Pages/Big-fines-for-interfering-with-rock-lobster-fishing-gear.aspx

Big fines for interfering with rock lobster fishing gear
Page Content
​Two men have been ordered to pay a total of more than $87,700 for a range of joint and individual fishing offences – one of them personally having hundreds of rock lobster tails and dozens of whole lobsters stored at home and the other being found with more than 60 packaged or frozen lobster tails at his residence.

A Joondalup Court yesterday heard the men had been under surveillance by Fisheries and Marine Officers on 23 December 2013 and again on a number of days in November and December last year; before they were apprehended, interviewed and later charged.

Russell Ewen, aged 61, from Greenwood was fined $14,000 and issued with an additional mandatory penalty of $46,250 and court costs of $169.10.

Christopher Stickland, aged 66, of Kallaroo was fined $14,000, given an additional mandatory penalty of $13,200 and $169.10 in court costs.

Among their offences, they faced 11 joint charges of interfering with fishing gear that did not belong to either of the accused.

The magistrate also ordered Ewen to forfeit his boat and trailer used to commit the joint offences, along with the 230 rock lobster tails, 24 whole western rock lobsters and three lobster pots, which had also been seized by Fisheries and Marine officers.

Stickland was ordered to forfeit 68 rock lobster tails and three pots that were seized.

North Metropolitan Compliance Manager Todd A’Vard said the court had issued the appropriate penalties for the offenders.

“Cases of interference with fishing gear are difficult to prove and the good work of Fisheries and Marine Officers to build a strong case against these men was a credit to the department’s compliance efforts,” Mr A’Vard said.

“We know that many recreational fishers are out there doing the right thing and some have suffered from such illegal activities. When you set your lobsters pots there’s nothing worse than finding, or suspecting, they have been raided by someone else.

“We ask anyone with information about illegal fishing activities to not get involved, but to carefully observe what you see and give FISHWATCH a call on 1800 815 507”.

More information on WA’s rock lobster fishing rules and limits is available in the Recreational fishing for rock lobster guide 2015/16. Find that at www.fish.wa.gov.au, or collect the guide from departmental offices, or Information Outlets.

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OFW 11

evil flourishes when good men do nothing

 


Posts: 96

Date Joined: 21/11/15

Awesome!That fine should

Thu, 2015-12-24 21:14

Awesome!

That fine should cover the wages/super etc of an additional patrol officer for a year, doubt it'll be used for that tho

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Paul_86's picture

Posts: 1449

Date Joined: 27/03/09

 this is so good, hearing

Thu, 2015-12-24 21:20

 this is so good, hearing this is a great early Christmas present! I love that they name them too. Only thing could top this is if they were keel hauled!!!

sstevee's picture

Posts: 466

Date Joined: 15/11/11

Excellent! Some people

Thu, 2015-12-24 21:35

Excellent! Some people getting what they deserve!

Complete disregard for anyone but themselves... Clearly couldn't care less for future generations

 

Posts: 8026

Date Joined: 07/05/12

 Great news. Gonna look them

Thu, 2015-12-24 21:45

 Great news. Gonna look them up in the Whitepages tomorrow and wish them a merry cuntmas

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Officially off the Pies bandwagon

Madmerv's picture

Posts: 672

Date Joined: 24/01/15

Good work

Thu, 2015-12-24 22:38

 $87K is about what should be handed out every time. Sucked in you theiving pricks.

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 Sometimes when the water is quiet, you can hear the fish laughing at you !

Posts: 111

Date Joined: 22/06/13

That's a beautiful fine.I

Thu, 2015-12-24 23:58

That's a beautiful fine.

 

Posts: 5981

Date Joined: 17/06/10

Well done fisheries

Fri, 2015-12-25 00:00

A big pat on the back for Fisheries, great going guys and ladies.

What a great Christmas present for amateur cray catchers that should make the thieving bastards smart a bit, and those who think they are pretty smart by robbing other peoples pots sit up and take notice.

When you get caught you are going to be done like a dinner.

opsrey's picture

Posts: 1200

Date Joined: 05/10/07

That's a nice way for them to enter retirement

Fri, 2015-12-25 06:05

Both rip off old pricks. 

sea-kem's picture

Posts: 14833

Date Joined: 30/11/09

 More old sods that should

Fri, 2015-12-25 06:25

 More old sods that should know better. 

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Love the West!

Broome lad's picture

Posts: 191

Date Joined: 16/11/15

There needs

Fri, 2015-12-25 07:19

 To be better publicity of this so all the thieving mongrels see it and have a good hard think about what they are doing . Most won't know I'd reckon . 

ranmar850's picture

Posts: 2702

Date Joined: 12/08/12

As I said once before

Fri, 2015-12-25 07:21

Thieving dogs are thieving dogs, and they get old like the rest of us.

Posts: 345

Date Joined: 04/01/12

Fantastic

Fri, 2015-12-25 10:03

 Great to hear that the bastards got caught. 

 Very pleased that they were heavily fined - hopefully that sends a message to others

 It would be nice to post the story at every boat ramp in the State.

 Thank You Fisheries for the effort involved and Thank You for acknowledging how annoyed we  get  when someone else  raids our pots.        

Posts: 125

Date Joined: 16/01/12

 Good work with catching

Fri, 2015-12-25 10:13

 Good work with catching them.

At least one has lost his boat and suffered a penalty. But I don't like the chances of the Fnes Enforcement registry getting the dollars out of them.

Posts: 132

Date Joined: 02/06/11

great news ! pity this doesnt

Fri, 2015-12-25 10:30

great news !
pity this doesnt get in the newspaper

Posts: 5738

Date Joined: 18/01/12

Sooo

Fri, 2015-12-25 10:41

 if the good old government is able to legislate penalties for selling catches and over fishing at 10x the value

WHY THE FUCK, cant they do it when thieves/meth addicts etc steal, mug and damage peoples property?

A car gets stolen and trashed, and its not even 1 times the value.
A granny gets bashed, and its not even the medical bills when it should be 10 x the beating or bills.

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 Give a man a mask, and he'll show you his true face...

 

 

The older you get the more you realize that no one has a f++king clue what they're doing.

Everyone's just winging it.

 

Posts: 457

Date Joined: 03/09/10

Merry Christmas

Fri, 2015-12-25 10:51

to those old salts....be some sour faces at their table today.

Posts: 865

Date Joined: 30/12/09

 Agreed rob, but corporal

Fri, 2015-12-25 10:53

 Agreed rob, but corporal punishment would be more of a suitable punishment imo for a lot of them crimes. Like an eye for an eye should be minimum punishment plus restitution. 

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 Get busy living, or get busy dying!

bradz's picture

Posts: 693

Date Joined: 29/10/07

Christmas greetings

Fri, 2015-12-25 11:33

Now we know their names we should all give the gentlemen a call and wish them a fu%king Merry Christmas..and suck sh!t.

Tis the season to be jolly.

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I did then the best that I knew how. When I knew better, I did better.

carnarvonite's picture

Posts: 8622

Date Joined: 24/07/07

Published

Fri, 2015-12-25 11:51

All of these cases should be published in the papers and on television news to get the message out there that it doesn't pay to jump the system,

Right whack, IMO it should have been double the penalty.

Thoroughly agree with Rob's comments 100%

Posts: 6454

Date Joined: 08/08/11

 Good result.  I hope all the

Fri, 2015-12-25 21:00

 Good result.  I hope all the scumbags that are currently doing it get to hear sbout this case and think twice.  Well done fisheries. 

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Fish! HARD!

kelsea's picture

Posts: 134

Date Joined: 14/02/12

Makes You Wonder

Sat, 2015-12-26 07:59

 I would have thought it was the younger blokes who would have been doing this as they wouldn't have experienced the frustration, annoyance, anger, financial pain and a wife who doesn't let the purse stringsa go for you to continually replace pots during the season and after the season. This was the first year I didn't personally have pots "Vanish"but my two crew lost a pot each.

A pair of old bastards who should know better, wonder if they have taught others in the families to fish the same way - PRICKS

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 Ocean bound is where I'll be found

Cruise Control's picture

Posts: 970

Date Joined: 03/11/10

 Should have lost the car

Sat, 2015-12-26 10:34

 Should have lost the car that towed the boat as well.

Posts: 146

Date Joined: 25/09/08

I 'm Amazed

Sat, 2015-12-26 16:41

I am amazed at some comments in this article,having read the age and not knowing either person I whole hartedly agree they should not of been doing what they obviuosly were,Overfishing,stealing and possibly selling,But ,I would like to know more details of just why they did this crime.As many know some older pensioners are doing it tough due to the many factors that al or most of us live under,rising costs of Rates,Licensing fees,Power,water infact just about every thing that involves living in WA.Much ,thanks to encreases that the current state goverment have allowed to happen,or done nothing to control.Yes,they did wrong,but the way some people on this page have commented ,I find discusting.I know a great many members ofd Fishwreced are young fully employed people with good joba and income,others have their own busineses,and no doubt earn a good living,these two,are in the pension age group,and without knowing if they are living on the bones of their arses I will not celibrate the penilites they got,as they say,walk a mile in my shoes,And before the Englishg grammer police jump on me for my lack of correct spelling.I donot give a toss.

Posts: 326

Date Joined: 18/10/10

Lol can afford boat

Sat, 2015-12-26 23:09

but struggling in life

 

thats enough for me to say stiff bickies 

sea-kem's picture

Posts: 14833

Date Joined: 30/11/09

 You have just got to be

Sun, 2015-12-27 07:24

 You have just got to be kidding.

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Love the West!

Posts: 96

Date Joined: 21/11/15

Stealing/breaking the law

Sun, 2015-12-27 08:44

Kinda understand/appreciate your speculated empathy diver but... regardless of how tough or down on their luck these guys or any others may be, breaking the law/stealing from others etc is wrong, they knew that before interfering with others pots (& whatever else they've been getting upto) yet raised their middle finger at it, didn't give a stuff about their victims.

For all we know these guys have always lived this lifestyle, been on the dole, in & out of jail etc most their lives, regardless they choose their path, karma has now caught up with them. 

And no I'm not a young bloke with/or making huge coin, run my own business etc, I'm not much younger than these guys, old enough to know right from wrong, that if I need $'s I'll knock on doors asking to do odd jobs, mow lawns, wash cars, walk dogs, cleaning etc etc.

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ranmar850's picture

Posts: 2702

Date Joined: 12/08/12

They knowingly and deliberately broke the law

Sat, 2015-12-26 17:11

 There should be no confusion or obfuscation over this, ie, "we don't know the whole story" etc. "Poor old pensioners will starve to death" if they can't take well over their possession limit, inferring some kind of entitlement. They had stored tails, which is illegal, they had well over their possession limits, which is illegal, and they had 11 counts of interfering with other peoples gear, which is also illegal. The case had been built over two years' Whites, so there was a persistent pattern of illegal activity. This was no borderline case. I certainly don't personally ascribe to the lynch mob mentality, but in this case, zero sympathy.

And the fact that the thunderbolt didn't immediately fall from the sky the first time the law was broken, as some on here think should be the case, is a good illustration of how it is done. Just because you haven't had the tap on the shoulder yet, don't be thinking you've got away with it. There may be a file on you already, with a case being built.

NORUN NOFUN's picture

Posts: 1018

Date Joined: 15/08/11

what an idiot and im not talking about the old fools

Sat, 2015-12-26 17:59

Diver, would you also stick up for a drunk driver because you didnt know all the circumstances - quite frankly I'm disappointed at your comments. Knowing right from wrong is simple and maybe you should have been taught this simple message growing up.

Posts: 4561

Date Joined: 01/02/10

Glad they were named and

Sat, 2015-12-26 18:05

Glad they were named and shamed and not protected the embarrassment like they usually are. That Kalbarri case immediately springs to mind.

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Does anyone know where the love of god goes, when the waves turn the minutes to hours?

Auslobster's picture

Posts: 1901

Date Joined: 03/05/08

Gotta crappy pay this week...

Sun, 2015-12-27 06:03

 ...doing it tough. It's OK though, I can just knock over a bank or bash a granny and take her pension. Authorities don't know my circumstances.