Fishers banned and fined for pulling “other fishers’ pots
The Department of Fisheries has welcomed a magistrate’s decision to ban two men from fishing
for 12 months and the big fines imposed on them, for illegally pulling other fishers’ lobster pots.
In Fremantle Court this week (Tuesday 18 January 2011), Magistrate Robert Lawrence ordered
the men to pay fines, penalties and court costs of $6128.40 each, after they pleaded guilty to
seven charges against both of them.
Magistrate Lawrence also warned the men that, if they breached the order preventing them from
being involved in any fishing activity for a year, they would be committing a further offence and
would be liable to a potential fine of $10,000 and six months imprisonment.
Jose Manual ROCHA of Fremantle and Joao Garces GONCALVES of White Gum Valley were
fishing near Rottnest on the 29
th and 30th of March, when Fisheries and Marine Officers observedwww.fish.wa.gov.au.
the men pulling a total of 19 recreational rock lobster pots.
Acting North Metropolitan Compliance Manager Ryan Parker said not only had the pair pulled
more than the daily limit of four pots, our investigations quickly determined that some of the
pots did not belong to them and they had not been given permission by the lawful owners to
retrieve them.
“We get a lot of calls from rock lobster fishers, who suspect their pots have been interfered with,
so this is a warning to wrong-doers that we can and will pursue those who fish illegally in this
way,” Mr Parker said.
“When they were apprehended at the Leeuwin Boat Ramp, the men had also knowingly
concealed excess catch and undersize fish. The magistrate said all the offences were very serious
and the pair had shown a blatant disregard for the law. The big fines and the fishing ban he has
imposed deliver a significant outcome that will be a major deterrent.”
In other fisheries cases before the Fremantle court this week, three men caught in a crab fishing
blitz at Woodman’s Point in February and March of 2010 were issued with fines, penalties and
court cost bills, for a range of offences related to size and bag limits.
Scott David HANRAHAN of South Lake pleaded guilty and was ordered to pay $1679.20,
Raymond John MILLER of Fremantle must pay $2,719.20 plus a further $1759.20 for crabbing
offences that occurred two weeks apart and Drew Craig TEAGUE of Kardinya, who was fishing
with Miller on the first occasion, was ordered to pay $2719.20.
More details about the rules for recreational rock lobster and crab fishing are available from the
Department of Fisheries’ website at
MEDIA CONTACT:
Ashley Malone
Media Liaison Officer
Ph: 9203 0357
Mobile: 0418 901 767
Report all suspected illegal fishing activity to FISHWATCH 1800 815 507
January 2011 02/2011
Media Release
Fishers banned and fined for pulling “other fishers’ pots”
OFW 11
evil flourishes when good men do nothing
scotto
Posts: 2474
Date Joined: 21/04/08
another good score
for fisheries, and us.
i can not hide how much i love seeing these big fines, etc being handed out to these ungrateful fucks. it seriously is music to my ears.
tailor marc
Posts: 2979
Date Joined: 27/09/06
So good to see the law
So good to see the law getting dished out!!!!
Things are looking up :)
My photography pictures... http://westernhorizonsmedia.wordpress.com/
Shorty
Posts: 1549
Date Joined: 10/05/08
Good to see,, funny a friend
Good to see,, funny a friend has spoken to two different people on seperate occasions last week pulling up his crab nets, both said they were doing nothing wrong and just having a look and were a bit upset when he spoke to them and pointed out you should not do it,,,,
The arguments range from they are not licensed so theres nothing wrong in having a look and i lived around here for 25 years and i always do it and nobody has had a problem before etc,,(this was off a jetty in the river)
schecky
Posts: 1645
Date Joined: 25/08/08
Love how they name and shame,
Love how they name and shame, goooood stufffff!
Brock O
Posts: 3337
Date Joined: 11/01/08
The Phone
Number is now on speed dail, as with tailor mac thread give fishwatch a ring and if there close buy you will see some action. Good to see
bowds
Posts: 70
Date Joined: 12/01/11
Good to see these mongrels
Good to see these mongrels being dealt with properly. Hopefully this sets a standard for everyone else out there that does it.
460 Dory w/ 60hp Evinrude eTech.
H Days!
Bodie
Posts: 3758
Date Joined: 05/11/07
yep another good one for
yep another good one for fisheries.
interesting in there the part it states "they had not been given permission by the lawful owners to retrieve them"
Is it actually legal is give 'lawful' permission for someone else to pull your pots? i thought this was not legal either? if pulling your pots, the person who's license ID is on the float needs to be onboard?
Am i incorrect?
Paul_86
Posts: 1449
Date Joined: 27/03/09
Nope, totaly illegal
Just before christmas last year i pulled and brang back with me mine and my dads pots coz we had finished for the season. The only reason my dad wasnt with me was because he had gout in his feet really bad and could barely walk let alone stand up in a rocking boat. I was met at the ramp by a fisheries officer who fined me for the offence even tho he spoke to my old man on the phone to tell him the story and i also had my dads cray license with me. We then got a doctors certificate to back up our story but they wouldnt accept our situation. BUT if i had of had someone else/anyone else on the boat with me who had there own cray liscense he would of let it slip!? Even tho there ID wasnt on the other 2 pots! So yeah ur rite, totaly illegal
Mick
Posts: 501
Date Joined: 28/08/06
i was thinking the same thing
i was thinking the same thing there Bodie. I was under the impression that you could not pull pots without the lawful owner being on board. Interesting
If the lord did not mean for us to eat fish and game, he wouldn't have made them outta meat
The speed of light is faster than the speed of sound. That's why so many people appear bright...until they speak.
Trezzie
Posts: 14
Date Joined: 20/01/11
TWO WORDS - Greedy and Disrepectful
I'm glad they all got fined. How greedy are some people?? And a total lack of respect for other fishermen out there doing the right thing. Cant wait for them to re-offend and be caught and sent to jail. Go Fisheries!
Jenny
MattMiller
Posts: 4171
Date Joined: 15/06/09
I hope we
see a huge increase in the number of people caught doing the wrong thing. We all know it happens and those doing the wrong thing should be punished.
Mrs Benno1
Posts: 29
Date Joined: 15/12/10
So they boody well should
So they boody well should be...its about frikken time the scumbags got what they deserved. Hopefully if more lowlifes get caught and prosecuted it'll deter them and others from doing it.
Sunny
carnarvonite
Posts: 8707
Date Joined: 24/07/07
Boat
They should have had their boat seized as well, theiving bastards deserved more than what they got.
Having lost many pots when I lived down that way it should have been a lesson to anyone else considering taking up pot pulling.
Meteorite
Posts: 69
Date Joined: 30/12/10
wow
gotta admire the guts of two guys cruising around pulling 19 odd pots - i d be more worried about the boat ramp justice if the dude who owned them saw it. Sad thing is probably too much of it goes on and these dropkicks are just the only ones dumb enough to get caught. must have made for an expensive day out .
big john
Posts: 8786
Date Joined: 20/07/06
Good result
Sounds like a job for an ex forum member and his trusty transom chopping axe! That would slow them down for sure. :)
WA based manufacturer and supplier of premium leadhead jigs, fligs, bucktail jigs, 'bulletproof' soft plastic jig heads and XOS bullet jig heads.
Jigs available online in my web store!
abeldog
Posts: 801
Date Joined: 12/04/10
Great Result
for all involved in fishing,
Scotto: More Ungrateful Fucks, I think the term is growing on me.
"People See Things As They Are & Ask Why???
We Can All Dream of Things That Never Were and Ask Why Not!!"( RK )
Faulkner Family
Posts: 18330
Date Joined: 11/03/08
BUSTED. needs to be more of
BUSTED. needs to be more of it around. they should have had all their gear including the boat taken as well.
RUSS and SANDY. A family that fishes together stays together