A second person in a week allegedly poaching more than twice the legal bag limit of calamari has run afoul of fisheries officers.
Officers observed a man last Thursday allegedly taking more than double the limit of 10 off Queenscliff, according to Victorian Fisheries Authority’s Ian Parks.
“Officers also allegedly watched the man throw back two dead calamari he had previously caught only to replace them with two larger calamari just landed,” he said.
“This is known as high-grading and is illegal. The man then allegedly gave another person a dead calamari by hooking it onto their jig.”
Soon after officers intercepted the man at Queenscliff boat ramp, seizing his aluminium boat, worth an estimated $6000, calamari and fishing gear on the spot.
“This is a win for Operation Focus, which is cracking down on illegal fishing for calamari on the Bellarine Peninsula,” Mr Parks said.
The man faces charges of exceeding the calamari catch limit, failing to return unwanted calamari to the water with least possible harm and several marine safety offences.
Mr Parks emphasised that fishers could not claim extra fish under another person’s daily bag limit who is aboard their boat.
“Our fisheries officers are highly-trained and use sophisticated state-of-the-art equipment to detect offenders who threaten the sustainability of our fisheries, which belong to all Victorians.”
The incident comes after fisheries officers caught a St Albans Park man last Monday allegedly exceeding the legal limit on three separate occasions.
Anyone witnessing suspicious or illegal fishing activity can anonymously phone 13 34 74 anytime.
