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Rock lobster blitz over long weekend

Wednesday 21 January, 2009

PIRSA Fisheries Officers, together with Officers from SAPOL, will be targeting rock lobster fishers in the Limestone Coast region over the Australia Day long weekend.

Mel Snart, PIRSA Fisheries Regional Manager (Limestone Coast), says Fisheries Officers will be saturating the area and will be on the lookout for any illegal fishing activity with special emphasis on rock lobster fishing.

“The Australia Day long weekend is a popular time for rock lobster fishing in the region,” Ms Snart said.

“Fisheries Officers will be looking at a range of potential offences, including anyone taking over the daily bag limit of rock lobster.”

The daily bag limit of rock lobster a person can take is four per day. Fishers from a boat can take up to eight when two or more persons are fishing from that boat. 

“Fishers however should note that the boat limit also relates to the actual boat used, so once the daily limit for a particular boat is reached, that boat cannot be used to take anymore rock lobster that day,” Ms Snart said.

“Another issue being targeted by Fisheries Officers is the illegal practice of 'multi-tripping' where fishers take multiple bag limits on multiple trips over the period of a day.”

Fishers are also reminded that all recreational rock lobster taken must have the tail fan clipped before it is brought ashore.

Information about rock lobster fishing rules can be found in the free Recreational Fishing Guide (available from PIRSA Offices), on the PIRSA Fisheries web site www.pir.sa.gov.au/fishing or by contacting the Fishwatch telephone hotline on 1800 065 522.