A MAN who used an unlicensed 30m gill net to fish and another who caught 56 undersized Blue Manna crabs copped hefty fines in Mandurah Magistrates Court yesterday.
Todd Anthony Lubbock was found guilty for fishing using a 30m gill net, without holding a current Recreational Fishing Licence and contravening a provision of an order.
Senior Fisheries officer Darren Harbord said Lubbock was netting under the Kwinana Freeway in Serpentine River on March 11, 2018 at 5.30pm.
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READ NOWMr Harbord said Lubbock was standing on the bank of the Serpentine River, with a dinghy in the water, which contained a 30m gill net, two mullet, 11 Perth Herring and five Yellowtail Trumpeter. Some of the fish were still alive.
Mr Harbord said the Serpentine River was permanently closed to netting and Lubbock didn’t have a current recreational netting licence at the time.
During a recorded interview, Lubbock said he had a recreational netting licence and thought he still held one, and did not know where legally you were allowed to net.
The net was seized and the fish were released.
Magistrate Anne Longden fined Lubbock $700 and he was issued to forfeit his gillnet.
Spencer Wesley Charles Thorne, who also appeared in court yesterday, was found guilty of possessing 56 undersized Blue Manna crabs.
Mr Harbord said Thorne caught 56 undersized Blue Manna crabs at about 3.20pm on February 10, 2018.
Thorne caught the undersized crabs, all ranging between 99mm to 125mm in size, with his nephew when they visited the Peel Inlet.
He intended to take the crabs stored in a foam box to his car, which was parked on the foreshore, but was instead issued to put the crabs back in the water.
During a video interview, Thorne admitted he caught the undersized crabs but he did not know he had to measure them. He said he was taking them home to eat with his family.
He received a $1000 fine and mandatory additional penalty of $2500.