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Fisher faces threat of jail time

Friday, June 12, 2009

A Whyalla man is the first fisher in South Australia to be given a custodial sentence for a recreational fishing offence.

Steven Cook, 47, yesterday received a suspended sentence in the Whyalla magistrate’s court after pleading guilty to illegally selling jars of razorfish at a local hotel in October last year.

PIRSA Fisheries officers seized a total of three jars containing 44 razorfish when they approached Mr Cook in the hotel, and discovered a further 12 jars containing 252 razorfish in the man’s car.

The court was told the man’s activities were “neither amateur nor spontaneous, but an organised well planned enterprise to make money”.

There has been overfishing of the species, such that the bag limit was reduced to 25 per person in December 2007. The species is susceptible to over-fishing as they live in the seabed in the same spot for their whole life, they are not migratory and therefore if they are heavily harvested in an area there is no new recruitment to enable re-population.

His Honour Magistrate Clive Kitchin SM ordered that Mr Cook be convicted and sentenced to three months imprisonment, suspended on entry into a two-year good behaviour bond in the amount of $1000. His Honour also ordered prosecution costs in the amount of $150, court costs, victims of crime levy, forfeiture of all items listed on the complaint and confirmation of forfeiture of the fish.

PIRSA Fisheries Central North regional manager Paul Faithow said the suspended sentence was a strong deterrent to Mr Cook from further re-offending, as he faces a prison term if he re-offends in the next two years.

“It sends a very strong message to anyone considering illegally fishing or selling, but also reinforces the message that our fisheries need to be protected, particularly vulnerable species,” Mr Faithow said.

Mr Cook came to the attention of PIRSA Fisheries through an anonymous call to the PIRSA Fishwatch number, 1800 065 522.