The Mackay Magistrate Court has found two commercial fishermen guilty for fishing related offences in protected areas on the Great Barrier Reef. The court has slapped fine on these fishers. It is said that the court results are among several recent cases involving commercial fishers convicted of illegal fishing on the Reef; the highest court result in recent weeks was a $40,000 fine in June.
Experts said that these court cases follow widespread investigations conducted as a result of detections from the recently enhanced Customs Coastwatch operations. Mick Bishop from the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority opined that the outcome of the court cases highlighted the seriousness of fishing related offences in protected areas on the Reef.
According to Mick Bishop serious investigations into illegal fishing on the GBR are carried on. He added that most commercial operators are doing the right thing as they realise sustainable fishing is important, but it’s disappointing that some commercial fishers continue to break the law. It is fact that illegal fishing undermines the efforts of commercial operators who follow regulations.
The commercial fishing industry is looking to pursue the Queensland Seafood Industry Association recently announced three of its four Environmental Management Systems. The Environmental Management Systems aim to provide an adaptive framework for continuous improvement and reporting of the seafood industry’s environmental performance.
