Geraldton fisherman Murray Gordon Hopkins fined for excessively capturing protected western rock lobsters

A recreational Geraldton fisherman has had his boat seized by authorities and has been stripped of his fishing rights for excessively capturing protected western rock lobsters. Murray Gordon Hopkins was fined more than $12,000 in the Geraldton Magistrate’s Court last week for a string of criminal charges, which included excessively fishing rock lobsters on six different occasion between July and November last year, according to a Fisheries spokesman. The 60-year-old was also charged by Fisheries officials for breaching fishing gear compliance laws — linked to whale migration — by using haul lines longer than 20 metres and being caught with two tar spot western rock lobsters. It is illegal to capture the species. Hopkins also sabotaged the lobster pots of two other fishermen on October 30, the court was told. Fisheries’ Mid West director of regional compliance Mick Kelly said Hopkins would not be allowed to fish rock lobsters for the next two years. “The take home message from this is that illegal fishing is a slippery slope and that our Fisheries compliance officers are out and about, where and when you least expect them,” Mr Kelly said. The court ordered the seizure of Hopkins’ 4.5m boat, trailer, fuel tank as well as other navigation and fishing equipment.