Crab pot thieves targeted in massive Qld Fisheries crackdown
Misbehaving anglers caught repeatedly pilfering crab pots or ambushing equipment will face harsh fishing bans under proposed new laws.
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Misbehaving anglers caught repeatedly pilfering crab pots or ambushing equipment will face harsh fishing bans under proposed new laws, after the government conceded hitting offenders with fines wasn’t working.
It comes as new fisheries department data revealed authorities were receiving four calls a day for alleged offences and issues, which include claims of equipment interference.
Recreational and commercial fishers alike have for decades bemoaned the theft or tampering of equipment, particularly allegations of crab pots being raided or stolen.
Under current legislation the maximum fine for interfering with fishing equipment or fish farm activity is about $77,000, though individual penalties for tampering with crab pots are much lower.
But under new laws quietly put forward as part of a wider package of legislation focusing on dangerous dog control, repeat offenders could face being banned from fishing, owning fishing apparatuses or undertaking certain fishing activities.
And the maximum penalty for breaching the ban stands at $462,000 or two years in jail.
Government documents published for the bill stated “due to the personal and financial gain associated with unlawful interference, the imposition of fines has not been an effective deterrent”.
The Department of Agriculture and Fisheries confirmed it issued 20 cautions, 31 fines, and secured two prosecutions for equipment interference last financial year, with 10 cautions and 10 fines issued in the 2023/24 financial year to date.
Fishwatch — the state’s 24 hour hotline which acts at the Crime Watch equivalent for fish — received 1434 calls in 2022/23, or nearly four a day.
Townsville fishing identity David Hodge, better known as the Barefoot Fisherman, said more funding was needed for fisheries officers to ensure they could undertake much needed patrols across the state’s waterways.
Mr Hodge, who also works at the Fishing Warehouse, said the prevalence of pots theft was breeding suspicion on the water, with anglers constantly on the look out.
At $300 for a set of four good pots he said fishers were starting to take matters into their own hands, with some buying high-quality motion detection cameras and placing them in trees along banks near their pots to catch thieves in the act.
“(Crab pot raiding) has always been there, but I think the more people are crabbing, the more people that you’re going to have that scum element … there’s a certain percentage of fishermen who don’t think twice about it,” Mr Hodge said.
The committee looking into the proposed laws are due to table their report in March 2024.
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