Fisho’s face red after pink haul

He tried to throw back the evidence and his mates kept mum on the catch, but an illegal haul cost a Perth fisherman big-time in Denham Court last month. Teck Hock Lim, 70, was ordered to pay $6520.90 in fines and costs after being convicted of fishing during a closed season and having nine protected pink snapper in his boat.

To protect pink snapper stocks in Shark Bay’s inner gulfs, there are closed seasons in the Eastern Gulf in May, June and July, and between mid-August and late September in the Freycinet Estuary.

The court was told the man and three others were fishing by line on June 3 on a dinghy out from Monkey Mia, when a compliance officer from the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development approached their vessel and introduced himself.

The offender threw four pink snapper overboard, one of which the compliance officer recovered, while another five pink snapper were found when the dinghy was searched. The other men on board declined to answer questions about the catch, so the master of the vessel was charged. He was convicted of taking nine pink snapper during the Eastern Gulf closed season.

Denham Court was told a large flashing roadside sign was adjacent to the boat ramp to notify fishers of the closure.