No fines for Anzac Day bird sanctuary fishing trip

Bribie Island locals fear a protected shorebird sanctuary is being destroyed as brazen fishers flout the rules twice in one week.

Locals say council needs to enforce penalties to stop people ignoring shorebird sanctuary warning signs.

Angry Bribie Island locals are furious their local council ditched fining brazen fishers breaking the law due to the “COVID-19 situation” after another fisherman was spotted in the protected sanctuary yesterday.

A group of 19 people and a dog were photographed by locals fishing at the island’s protected Kakadu Beach shorebird sanctuary on Anzac Day and reported to Moreton Bay Regional Council.

Yesterday locals again captured footage of a man fishing in the shorebird sanctuary in the afternoon and reported it to council.

The latest incident sparking calls from the Bribie Island Environmental Protection Association (BIEPA) for council to crack down on the illegal activity, ahead of World Migratory Bird Day on Sunday, and fine the offenders.

In a letter to council this morning BIEPA president Diane Oxenford wrote “BIEPA asks that the person identified disrespecting official signage and breaking the law (yesterday) be fined as MBRC policy allows”.

“Unless fines are issued the unlawful behaviour will continue. Warnings have proven not to be an effective treatment”.

A resident, who did not wish to be named, said locals have been subjected to abuse for asking offenders to leave the protected sanctuary for years and were again allegedly told to “f**k off” by the group on Anzac Day.

The group photographed at the protected sanctuary on Anzac Day were not fined. Photo. supplied.

Yesterday a council spokeswoman confirmed local law officers identified and spoke with the offenders to educate them of the environmental sensitivities and “issued them with their first warnings, with fine applying if they reoffend”.

“Taking into consideration the current COVID situation and that a lot of the community have been affected by loss of employment and financial strain, Council staff chose not to issue a $266 infringement notice in this instance”.

Locals say people will keep ignoring beach warning signs until fines are imposed.

But locals say it’s not enough and fines should have been issued with a warning “that any further infringements would incur more serious legal action”.

“I am not satisfied. A warning will not prevent these people from continuing to brazenly disobey the law,” a resident, who did not wish to be named, said.

“They teach their children to disobey the law and disregard official signage as well as disrespect concerned residents .... and spray their elders with bad language.”

The resident said people would only take the restrictions seriously if fines were issued.

“In the end it seems like it is up to ordinary citizens to be vigilant and that can be stressful. What is needed is immediate response so that the authorities can be on site ASAP to actually catch these people in situ,” the resident said.

The council spokeswoman said officers carried “out patrols in this area to monitor compliance and encourage visitors to do the right thing, comply with the signage and stay out of the sanctuary”.

The Weekly has contacted council today for comment about the latest incident.