DPIRD blitz of Port Hedland anglers results in 19 charges over four days

Fisheries officers in the North West discovered 19 fisheries offences in the Port Hedland area in a four-day targeted operation last month. The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development ran Operation Freycliff from July 22 to 26, issuing 12 fines and seven warnings for offences such as undersized fish and exceeding the demersal bag limit. Other cases included bringing on to land an estuary cod in other than a whole state, using illegal means to catch mud crabs, fishing without a licence and using a crab trap. Fisheries officers used land patrols, camp inspections and covert creek patrols to search for hidden or abandoned traps. DPIRD director regional compliance for the northern region Stuart McDowall said the flexibility of the fisheries officers in responding to intel and changing weather conditions resulted in increased contacts and the high level of offences detected. “As they travelled to and from Port Hedland from other bases, the compliance officers also had the opportunity to check known fishing hot spots,” he said. “Officers were able to respond to a Fishwatch call to locate two freshly baited rectangular fish traps, which they seized at Redbank. The overall operation has also given us information to follow up for further investigation.” The campaign was held after fisheries education officers spoke to about 700 people in the Pilbara recently, including more than 330 who visited DPIRD’s education display at the Port Hedland Spinifex Spree festival which covered possession limits and lawful fishing methods. DPIRD education officer Danielle Linardopoulos said the opportunity to set up a display at Spinifex Spree was invaluable to promote fishing sustainability in the north coast region. “Apart from the 334 people who visited us at our festival display tent in Port Hedland, I also spoke with 360 people in other parts of the Pilbara, including the Cape Keraudren nature reserve near Pardoo and Eighty Mile Beach between Port Hedland and Broome,” she said.