Bush 'n Beach Fishing Magazine Location reports & tips for fishing, boating, camping, kayaking, 4WDing in Queensland and Northern NSW
Acting on information from a member of the public, Fisheries officers executed a search warrant on the pair’s Gympie residence and found 310 whiting fillets (155 fish) above their possession limit in a freezer.
Queensland Boating and Fisheries Patrol district manager Greg Bowness said the suspects regularly stayed and fished at Burrum Heads, taking their total allowable possession limit on individual trips.
“They were reported to regularly take excess fish to their Gympie residence rather than retain it at Burrum Heads in an attempt to appear to be complying with possession limits,” Mr Bowness said.
“A possession limit refers to the total number of fish an individual can legally take and have in their possession at any one time – it does not apply on a per day basis.
“This includes the fish you have caught previously that are in your Esky, on your boat or in the freezer at home.
“If we are to continue to enjoy fishing, everyone must share the resources and abide by the laws.”
Mr Bowness said recreational fishers often confuse trumpeter whiting (winter whiting) with sand whiting (summer whiting).
“Trumpeter whiting have a silvery grey back with a paler belly featuring a silver horizontal band,” he said.
“Sand whiting are uniformly silver (no blotches) with the pectoral, pelvic and anal fins being pale yellowish.
“Trumpeter whiting have no legal size limit but a possession limit of 50 applies; whereas sand whiting, goldenline whiting and northern whiting all have a legal size of 23cm and a combined possession limit of 30 in total.
“Winter and summer whiting are commonly misidentified and fishers could incur an on-the-spot fine of up to $471 for getting it wrong.”
Mr Bowness said some of the distinguishing features between the species can be difficult to pick up at first, so fishers should download the Qld Fishing app or find a good fish identification book to assist them in identifying whiting and other fish species.
“We urge fishers to check fish identification and fishing rules so that they are familiar with the different fish species and their size and possession limits,” he said.
“If you are in doubt, return the fish to the water.”
If you suspect illegal fishing, whether you see it in person or online, report it to the Fishwatch hotline on 1800 017 116.
Do not approach the people involved, as this can compromise an investigation.
For more information on Queensland fishing rules, visit www.fisheries.qld.gov.au, call 13 25 23 or download the free Qld Fishing app from Apple and Google app stores.
You can follow Fisheries Queensland on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (@FisheriesQld).
