A MAJOR sting by the Queensland Boating and Fisheries Patrol has uncovered unlawful black market fishing activities in Brisbane. A total of 70 charges were laid against four men, two of whom were commercial fishers, with a total of $35,690 in fines handed out. Minister for Agricultural Industry Development and Fisheries Mark Furner said the detection of such significant offences, …

A SUNSHINE Coast company which damaged protected marine plants of cultural significance to the local Indigenous community has been convicted and fined more than $29,000 in the Maroochydore Magistrates’ Court. Minister for Agricultural Industry Development and Fisheries Mark Furner said the detection of the offences and the fines imposed sent a clear message that the wilful damage of marine plant …

JL Audio, an innovator in high-end marine audio solutions, recently announced the launch of a new 2.8” weatherproof, powered marine source unit. The MM50 is a high-performance, single-chassis, powered source unit with outstanding audio performance and advanced audio features, specifically designed for marine applications. An easy-to-read, high-brightness, 2.8” full-colour LCD display with separate day/night lighting and display themes, an intuitive …

THE Sydney International Boat Show presents plenty of activities for the whole family, with entertainment, education, interactive displays and presentations designed to make anyone’s day on the water even better. The show opens on August 2 at Darling Harbour, and over the 5 days promises to deliver the very best of boating to more than 60,000 expected visitors. Apart from …

SUNSHINE Coast boaters and ski riders are the big winners with the opening of the coast’s newest marine dealership, Sunshine Coast Yamaha, at Warana. Offering a strong line-up of new Stessco aluminium boat packages, Yamaha outboards and Yamaha WaveRunners, Sunshine Coast Yamaha has everyone covered, from the casual family boater and ski rider to the hard-core offshore fisher and thrill …

THE Queensland Government will fund two innovative companies to develop high-tech systems for fisheries monitoring of commercial fishing location, effort and catch. Agricultural Industry Development and Fisheries Minister Mark Furner said Anchor Lab and Fish-e had been awarded funding of $278,300 under the Advance Queensland Small Business Innovation Research program. “The two companies will develop systems that include location tracking, …

MERCURY has announced the addition of multiple new Pro XS outboards – V8 4.6-litre engines in 200hp, 225hp, 250hp and 300hp, along with an all-new V6 3.4-litre 175hp model. These powerful and precise new engines further expand Mercury’s already outstanding offering, representing the next generation of performance. Mercury Marine vice president of global category management John Buelow said, “The unveiling …

THE Okuma LRF range of rods features Okuma’s patented Unidirectional Fibre Reinforcement technology, a breakthrough in rod strength and sensitivity. This patented manufacturing process utilises an outer layer of longitudinal fibres around the rod blank to significantly increase rod strength as well as power and sensitivity in the tip section. These fibres increase the rod’s lifting power and maximum strength …

SATELLITE technology will be used to help protect Queensland’s fishing industry under final vessel tracking guidelines released recently. Minister for Agricultural Industry Development and Fisheries Mark Furner said vessel tracking would provide critical information to assist with on-water compliance, validating logbook data to improve the accuracy of information and assist with monitoring the sustainability of fish stocks. “The new Vessel …

A CLONTARF recreational fisher who sold crabs unlawfully has been convicted and fined $12,000 in the Redcliffe Magistrates’ Court. During sentencing, the Magistrate commented that the offending was commercially motivated and had a detrimental effect on recreational and commercial fishers. Referring to the fisher’s history of fisheries offences, the Magistrate said the court penalty should send a clear message to …