The Joondalup Magistrates Court has passed a verdict in which a commercial fisher and the company he was a director of found guilty of illegally using an additional lobster pot, while fishing west of Greenhead in April 2010. Mathew John Morey, 41-year old, of Jurien Bay was ordered to pay a fine, penalty court costs totaling $8750.
Mandurah-based BALERNO Pty Ltd was issued with a fine, penalty and court costs of $10,750 and the magistrate also ordered a reduction of the company’s Managed Fishery Licence pot entitlement. According to the court Morey’s Licensed Fishing Boat (LFB) Desperate Measures was placed under surveillance by Fisheries and Marine Officers and, in a search of the fishing area the vessel had worked in, uncovered a breach of the fisherman’s pot entitlement.
After probing the fishing boat at Jurien Marina, a navigation plotter and compact computer were seized. The equipment was later forensically analysed to reveal track data, which confirmed the vessel had been at the locations where pots were found with float sets marked with the brand ‘F696’ – matching the vessel’s LFB number. Department of Fisheries’ Compliance and Regional Support Manager Phil Shaw said Morey and Balerno Pty Ltd had entered pleas of guilty related to the over-potting.
As per Shaw statement the fines imposed indicate that rock lobster fishers can and will be prosecuted for breaching the rules that apply under the management plans applying to their operations.
