Bush ‘n Beach Fishing Magazine Location reports & tips for fishing, boating, camping, kayaking, 4WDing in Queensland and Northern NSW
A call to the Queensland Boating and Fisheries Patrol has led to a fisher being fined $12,000 in the Townsville Magistrates Court for a range of fishing offences.
QBFP monitored the fisher’s activities in Blacksoil Creek south of Townsville through active surveillance, including the use of drones, to assist with the prosecution.
The fisher pleaded guilty to possessing:
- 2 fishing nets
- unmarked crab pot
- 17 undersize mud crab
- 3 barramundi less than 58cm
- 1 giant queen fish less than 50cm
- 3 mud crab claws without the carapace
- 5 female mud crab claws without the carapace
- 8 mud crabs more than the limit. Queensland Boating and Fisheries
If you see illegal fishing activity, you can report it through the toll-free 24-hour Fishwatch 
1800 017 116 Hotline.
Fishing is an important part of the Queensland culture and lifestyle. It provides significant value to local economies through leisure and tourism related
spending. Commercial fisheries and aquaculture sectors also generate significant economic benefits and ensure that the whole community can enjoy seafood.
Queensland Boating and Fisheries is responsible for administering legislation governing the use of Queensland’s fisheries resources and protection of fisheries habitats. Queensland’s Fisheries Act 1994 (the Act) sets out the department’s responsibilities for the ecologically sustainable development of Queensland’s fisheries resources and habitats ensuring they are managed sustainably for the future.
Fisheries Queensland, within the department, is the lead agency within the Queensland Government that develops and applies principles and procedures to
ensure that the legislation is enforced in a manner that is fair, transparent, consistent and achieves an optimal level of compliance.
Maintaining sustainable fisheries is achieved by a number of means including a strong focus on compliance. Queensland’s compliance is implemented and enforced by Queensland Boating and Fisheries Patrol (QBFP), an organisational unit of Queensland Boating and Fisheries.
