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Big penalties to deter out of season marron fishers
Date: Tuesday, 9 June 2009
A decision to go marron fishing, the night before the limited season for the wild fishery opened in January this year, has cost three Collie men a total of more than $13,000 in fines, penalties and court costs.
The sentencing in Bunbury’s Magistrates Court last Friday (5 June) was the sequel to an incident at Harris River Dam, near Collie, where the men were found in joint possession of 89 marron.
Fisheries and Marine Officers apprehended the men at 1am on Friday 16 January 2009 – the Marron season was not due to open until Noon on that Friday.
The marron, which had been placed in an esky, were seized by the officers and returned to the water, after they had been counted and measured.
57-year-old Bruce Wayne HART and 24-year-old Allen James MICHAEL were each fined $500 for being in joint possession of the marron during a closed season and also ordered to pay a mandatory penalty of $3560 each, plus court costs of $114.20 each.
29-year-old Bevan Jabez HART was also ordered to pay the same fine, the mandatory penalty for the marron involved and court costs for the joint possession charge, but, in addition, he was fined a further $500 for stating a false name and address to the Fisheries Officers.
All the men had pleaded guilty to the offences they were charged with.
Acting Regional Manager for the Southern Region, Graeme Hall said the fines were appropriate for the offences and should act as a significant deterrent to people who might be tempted to fish for marron outside the assigned season for the wild fishery.
“It was a difficult investigation for the Fisheries and Marine Officers, especially dealing with one case of false identity, but the outcome vindicates their efforts,” he said.
“While the majority of fishers do the right thing each year, in the lead up to the marron season there are a few people who try to jump the gun. However, with fines like this – more than $13,000 – it becomes clear why it is foolhardy to fish for marron out of season.
“The rules for WA’s iconic wild marron fishery have been made to keep it sustainable and ensure there are stocks in rivers and marron fishing dams for the next season.”
More details of all the rules that apply for marron fishing are available from Department of Fisheries offices or online at www.fish.wa.gov.au.
The sentencing in Bunbury’s Magistrates Court last Friday (5 June) was the sequel to an incident at Harris River Dam, near Collie, where the men were found in joint possession of 89 marron.
Fisheries and Marine Officers apprehended the men at 1am on Friday 16 January 2009 – the Marron season was not due to open until Noon on that Friday.
The marron, which had been placed in an esky, were seized by the officers and returned to the water, after they had been counted and measured.
57-year-old Bruce Wayne HART and 24-year-old Allen James MICHAEL were each fined $500 for being in joint possession of the marron during a closed season and also ordered to pay a mandatory penalty of $3560 each, plus court costs of $114.20 each.
29-year-old Bevan Jabez HART was also ordered to pay the same fine, the mandatory penalty for the marron involved and court costs for the joint possession charge, but, in addition, he was fined a further $500 for stating a false name and address to the Fisheries Officers.
All the men had pleaded guilty to the offences they were charged with.
Acting Regional Manager for the Southern Region, Graeme Hall said the fines were appropriate for the offences and should act as a significant deterrent to people who might be tempted to fish for marron outside the assigned season for the wild fishery.
“It was a difficult investigation for the Fisheries and Marine Officers, especially dealing with one case of false identity, but the outcome vindicates their efforts,” he said.
“While the majority of fishers do the right thing each year, in the lead up to the marron season there are a few people who try to jump the gun. However, with fines like this – more than $13,000 – it becomes clear why it is foolhardy to fish for marron out of season.
“The rules for WA’s iconic wild marron fishery have been made to keep it sustainable and ensure there are stocks in rivers and marron fishing dams for the next season.”
More details of all the rules that apply for marron fishing are available from Department of Fisheries offices or online at www.fish.wa.gov.au.
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