Out of season marron fishing case attracts $12,317 in fines

Three men have been fined a total of $12,317.10 for fishing for marron out of season.
39 year old Stuart James Mitchell and 38 year old Robert Everard Cooper both of Greenfields
and 32 year old Nathan Daniel Miller of San Remo all pleaded guilty to charges related to the
possession of marron during the closed season.

In the Mandurah Court this week (Wednesday 27 June), the magistrate ordered the men to each
pay fines of $1,000 for breaching sections of the Fish Resources Management Act, plus
mandatory additional penalties of $3,000 each for the 75 marron that were in their joint
possession at the time of the offences.

They were also ordered to pay court costs of $105.70 each and to forfeit the fishing gear they
were using. The marron haul was returned to the water on the night.

The court was told the men where apprehended by an Honorary Fisheries Officer on 23
December 2006, as the offenders were departing from South Dandalup Dam.

Department of Fisheries Mandurah-based Fisheries and Marine Officer Darren Schofield said,
not only were the offenders fishing illegally and in the wrong place, 60 of the marron the men
had caught were actually undersize.

“Any person who fishes out of season is breaching the community’s rules that everybody must
abide by, to ensure we have marron for the future,” Mr Schofield said.

“We also appreciate the support of the Honorary Fisheries Officer and Rangers from the Water
Corporation, who assisted in apprehending a number of offenders during the past summer.

“Fisheries officers are keenly aware that a few people attempt to go marron fishing illegally in
early summer, especially during the lead up to Christmas season, and we always keep a special
look out for this type of activity.”

South Dandalup Dam is a drinking water dam and all drinking water dams, which are managed
by the Water Corporation, are closed to any kind of fishing at all times.