Brady Ward in Coffs Harbour Local Court over alleged abuse of fisheries officer, commercial fishing charges

A Queensland man accused of abusing a fisheries officer by calling him a “f--kwit and a f--king clown” is in hot water after netting himself a bounty of commercial fishing charges in NSW.

A Mooloolaba man has appeared before Coffs Harbour court charged with abusing a Fisheries NSW officer and multiple counts of failing to report accurately on commercial fishing quantities.

A Queensland man accused of abusing a fisheries officer by calling him a “f--kwit and a f--king clown” is in hot water after netting himself a bounty of commercial fishing charges in NSW.

Mooloolaba man Brady Ward, 35, appeared in Coffs Harbour Local Court on Friday on close to 30 charges including one count of abuse a fisheries officer and charges including commercial fisher fail to make real time report, not make/deliver to purchaser record of fish sale and fishing employer fail to make record as prescribed.

In a case brought by the Department of Regional NSW, it has questioned the legitimacy of the sale of a commercial quantity of whiting, caught in the state and transported across the Queensland border by Ward for the export market.

Brady Ward attended Coffs Harbour Court on June 21, 2024 where he faced multiple charges that contravene the Fisheries Management Act and a further count of abusing an officer.

Ward is the licensed commercial fisher and sole director of Ward Fishing Pty Ltd. He regularly fishes in waters off northern NSW.

A witness for the department, statewide investigative officer Fletcher Mingram, told the court that he had identified “ a lot of discrepancies and breaches of reporting” by Ward.

The court heard from Mr Mingram that in the 2021-2022 financial year Ward did not provide a record of sale for 4,360 kilos of whiting as legally required under the Fisheries Management Act.

A solicitor for the department argued that Ward “knowingly contravened the Act” for this record of sale and the other matters before the court.

Magistrate Julia Virgo heard that this was one of the alleged five record of sale contraventions among a total of 27 alleged record keeping contraventions.

The ranges of alleged offences include failure to report in real time before the fish leave NSW waters and failure to make catch estimate reports in the time frame under the legislation.

Ward faces a further charge of abusing a NSW Fisheries officer.

The department solicitor told the court that Ward abused Mr Mingram on the phone on October 12, 2022, after a compulsory notice to comply was issued.

Mr Mingram told the court Ward told him to “get stuffed” and called him a “f-cking clown” and a “f-ckwit”.

Ward is accused of abusing a fisheries officer after he was issued with a notice to comply to Fisheries Act standards and protocols. Picture: File.

“Angry, insulting and threatening was the way I’d describe it,” Mr Mingram said.

Ward’s solicitor argued that his client was “basically illiterate” and when he was asked to produce all of his records in July 2022, he did so.

He also told the court the alleged abuse by phone occurred after the fisheries department requested further information “by way of 256 questions”.

“Mr Brady Ward was at sea and had been working several days and may not have been rested and relaxed,” his solicitor argued.

NSW Fisheries (boat pictured), under the Department of Regional NSW, have brought the case against Ward. Photo: Tim Jarrett

He further told the court that internet connectivity hindered the ability for Ward to report as required while at sea before leaving NSW waters.

As the proceedings continued, the Department of Regional NSW called their final witness Coffs Harbour Fisheries Manager David Makin to the stand.

Mr Makin had a 2016 letter from Makin to Ward outlining his legislative requirements tendered as evidence to the court.

“They’re important for issues of public health, biosecurity and that customers are purchasing fish lawfully taken,” Mr Makin said.

Under examination Mr Makin told the court he undertook database searches on several of Ward’s reported landing locations in NSW and said they did not correspond to the locations in Google Maps.

Fisheries NSW concluded their case and submitted a total of 15 exhibits to the Magistrate.

Ward has pleaded not guilty on all charges before the court.

The matter is listed for hearing on January 20, 2025.

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