James Lewis Mallo guilty of failing to comply with Qld Fisheries log book laws

A commercial fisherman guilty of breaching fishing laws has wildly accused a prosecutor of being ‘a man of Satan’, a Magistrate of being ‘not who he claims’ and said the world had ‘18 hours’ until it all ends.

James Lewis Mallo, 55, was found guilty in Gympie Magistrates Court on Tuesday of failing to comply with fishing log book requirements on 50 occasions from September 12, 2020 to November 17, 2020, and obstructing investigators who boarded his board on November 18, 2020.

A self-proclaimed “sovereign fisherman” guilty of failing to fill out his boat’s log books has sensationally accused a prosecutor in court of being “a man of Satan” and a magistrate of not being “who he was claiming to be”.

James Lewis Mallo, 55, was found guilty in Gympie Magistrates Court on Tuesday of failing to comply with fishing log book requirements on 50 occasions from September 12, 2020 to November 17, 2020, and obstructing investigators who boarded his board on November 18, 2020.

The log book breaches included failing to record catches, and failing record days he was and was not fishing.,

Mallo had worked along the Queensland coast as far as Townsville and now at Tin Can Bay.

The matters had been raised in courts at Townsville and Maryborough before going to trial at Gympie in February, 2023.

Magistrate Chris Callaghan handed down his reasons this week.

Mallo’s sentencing was prolonged by frequent sensational outbursts by the commercial fisherman.

Mallo had worked along the Qld coast as far as Townsville and was now operating at Tin Can Bay, Gympie Magistrates Court was told. Photo Craig Warhurst / Gympie Times

These included accusing in open court the prosecutor for the Department of Fisheries of being a “man of Satan” compared to Mallo was a “man of God”, and of the department’s staff being “Freemason bullies”.

The court heard claims, read aloud by Mr Callaghan from documents tendered by the prosecutor to the court, Mallo had been accused of being a “sovereign citizen”.

Mallo objected to his, saying he was a “sovereign fisherman”.

The prosecutor sad he was “happy” to have that corrected in the record.

Several supporters of Mallo sat in the gallery, initially refusing to sit at the Magistrate’s request and only doing so after asking permission from Mallo.

The court heard during the proceedings Mallo did not believe the state’s fishing laws applied to him.

He accused Mr Callaghan of not being “who he claims”, and that there was only “18 hours” left on the “Q Clock” until the “whole world went into military lockdown” and all lawyers and magistrates were “replaced”.

He repeatedly refused to accept documents from the prosecutor, and continued forcefully arguing with and interrupting Mr Callaghan throughout proceedings.

MORE NEWS: Schoolies’ narrow escape as branch spears through car seat

Mr Callaghan fined Mallo $15,000 for the log book breaches, and ordered him to pay along with $5375 in professional costs and $405.60 in court costs and recorded no convictions.

Mr Callaghan repeatedly told him to “be quiet”, then threatened him with being arrested and charged with contempt should Mallo’s outbursts continue.

At midday Mr Callaghan called two police officers into the courtroom to maintain control over proceedings.

Mallo, who represented himself, told the court since the state government tightened fishing regulations in recent years had caused the value of his catch to drop from $1 million a year to $500,000.

He said the prosecution over the log books had “destroyed” his marriage and his business.

Mr Callaghan found Mallo had refused to completely fill out the log books as a protest against the regulations, and shown no remorse.

Mr Callaghan fined Mallo $15,000 for the log book breaches, and ordered him to pay along with $5375 in professional costs and $405.60 in court costs.

For the obstruction charge he fined Mallo $2000, and ordered him to pay professional costs of $2375 and court costs of $101.40.

No convictions were recorded.

He allowed Mallo to keep his fishing licence to help him pay the fine, but warned any future breaches of the state’s fishing laws would likely lead to its loss.