Julian Joseph Hewat fined $35,000 for illegal harvest in Great Barrier Reef

A Mackay man’s “sophisticated operation” to steal from the Great Barrier Reef involved eskies, towels and a hammer and chisel, a court has heard. Here’s what happened.

Julian Joseph Hewat outside Mackay court on November 18. Picture: Duncan Evans

A Mackay diver has copped a massive fine after he was busted harvesting coral and crayfish from the Great Barrier Reef.

Julian Joseph Hewat took his boat out to the marine park and took a crayfish within a protected “green zone” and harvested coral without a permit.

Mackay Magistrates Court heard Hewat used a hammer and chisel to collect 134 individual pieces of coral and then put them into eskies with water and towels.

The illegal operation took place on December 26, 2021.

The Reef from Gladstone to Far North Queensland is demarcated into different coloured zones, which determine the kind of activities that can take place within them.

Green denotes a “no-take” area and extractive activities like fishing or collecting are prohibited without a permit.

Federal prosecutor Sam Lanskey said the illegal harvest had been for recreational use rather than a commercial enterprise.

Defence solicitor Anthony Sangster said his client collected the coral for his own use.

The court heard that after the coral was seized, counted and weighed, marine park officers returned it to the reef the next day.

Julian Joseph Hewat outside Mackay court on November 18. Picture: Duncan Evans

Magistrate Damien Dwyer said Hewat’s actions involved a “lot of planning”.

“It was a significant number of 134 pieces of individual pieces of coral that you collected,” he said.

“And not only did you have a boat, you went out, you got it, you got in the water, you took eskies and towels, you took hammers, you took chisels.

“It was a sophisticated operation you undertook to get that, a lot of planning went into it.”

The court heard Hewat had a deep connection with the reef and worked as a diver in 2015-2016.

“I would have thought anyone with as great a love for the Great Barrier Reef as you do, or profess to have, for the Great Barrier Reef, would not go out with a hammer and chisel and take it for your own personal, selfish reasons,” Mr Dwyer said.

Before delivering his sentence, Mr Dwyer said there was a “strong need” to deter others from copying Hewat’s actions.

“There is a strong need for a strong deterrent to go out to you and anyone of a similar mind, to think they can get in their boat, go out there and attack the reef with a hammer and chisel and get away with it,” he said.

“These crimes are hard to detect, it happens underwater.”

For both matters, convictions were recorded and Hewat was fined $35,000.

Originally published as Julian Joseph Hewat fined $35,000 for illegal harvest in Great Barrier Reef