Hundreds of fishers warned for ignoring SA’s marine park no-take zones

A well-known professional fisherman has been caught illegally fishing in a “no-take” sanctuary zone, with a search of his boat revealing more than 100 sought-after fish.

Schools of silver drummer fish on the Aldinga Reef within the sanctuary zone.

A well-known professional fisherman from Yorke Peninsula is facing prosecution after allegedly being caught illegally fishing in a marine park sanctuary zone.

The fisherman, who leases a fishing licence from its Adelaide owner, was observed fishing in the Cape Elizabeth sanctuary zone just south of Moonta Bay late last month by Fisheries officers during an operation.

Sources have revealed when the fisherman returned to the Port Hughes boat ramp he was stopped by the Fisheries officers and a search of his boat uncovered more than 100 King George whiting.

A joint investigation is now being conducted by Department for Environment and Water and Fisheries into whether there have been any breaches of the Marine Parks Act and Marine Park (Zoning) regulations. The man has not yet been charged with any offence.

King George whiting

National Parks and Wildlife Service director of regional operations Stuart Paul confirmed the investigation, but would not comment on any specifics of the incident or likely outcome.

Alarmingly, over the past two financial years, DEW officers have handed out an average of 291 warnings for a first offence and 17 $315 expiation notices annually to anglers continuing to flout the restrictions and being caught illegally fishing in sanctuary zones a second time.

Mr Paul said illegal fishing in sanctuary zones was “a significant issue’’ and officers were using a variety of methods to detect offenders – including covert surveillance and long-range drones equipped with video cameras.

“It is unfortunate that over the past three years the vast majority of the warnings and expiations we have issued have been for recreational offences in sanctuary zones,’’ he said.

The most significant number of offences detected have been in sanctuary zones within the Encounter marine park, which covers the Fleurieu Peninsula and continues through to Port Noarlunga, largely because of the number of fishers using its waters.

“Marine parks have been around for many years now, they were proclaimed in 2012, so our view is the fishing community have had plenty of opportunity to familiarise themselves with them and the sanctuary zones that exist and the fact it is an offence to fish in these zones,’’ he said.

“There really is no excuse. Just about everyone has a mobile phone on them on their boat, there are fishing apps that show the boundaries and a boat’s GPS shows its position on the device, that they are in a sanctuary zone …”

Diving in the Aldinga Reef sanctuary zone.

Mr Paul said DEW officers conduct regular shore and boat patrols across SA’s marine parks network to detect breaches. Over the past three years an average of 1275 shore-based patrols and 237 boat patrols have been conducted annually.

Aerial patrols were also conducted, which included the use of the latest hi-tech, long-range drones equipped with high-resolution cameras. Static covert cameras were also present overlooking some sanctuary zones to detect offenders and gather intelligence.

While the warnings and expiations are most commonly issued for breaches, in serious cases offenders are prosecuted.

In the Environment, Resources and development Court last week Whyalla professional fisherman Shaun Neil Edwards was fined $1200 and ordered to pay almost $2000 in court costs after pleading guilty to fishing in the Cowleds Landing sanctuary zone.

Mr Edwards was caught netting for garfish in the sanctuary zone, south of Whyalla, by Fisheries officers in September last year. He claimed his GPS was not operational and was using landmarks as indicators of the zone’s location.

In sentencing Mr Edwards senior judge Michael Durrant said the “biodiversity of marine life’’ must be preserved to benefit future generations.

“The expectation is that those who are in the professional fishing industry will strictly adhere to regulation more so than the average recreational fisher,’’ he said.

“Your actions have a heightened environmental impact as a consequence.

“Great care must be taken when fishing in the vicinity of those zones; a commercial fisher like yourself should be acutely aware of that and act to provide an example of good behaviour to the community.’’

There are 19 marine parks in SA with 85 sanctuary zones within them in which all fishing and the taking of plants and animals is banned.

Penalties for fishing in a sanctuary zone range from a warning for a first offence, a $315 expiation notice for a subsequent offence and up to a maximum penalty of two years jail and fine of up to $100,000 for serious offending.

Illegal fishing activity in a sanctuary zone can be reported to the Fishwatch hotline on 1800065522.