A SUCCESSFUL prosecution of two brothers at Corowa yesterday should serve to warn all those who think it’s acceptable to flout the law when it comes to fisheries regulations.
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The two pensioners, both from Rutherglen, will each be out of pocket to the tune of more than $2700 after they were caught red-handed using an illegal fish trap to catch crayfish in the Murray River near Corowa.
It could have been much worse for the Collins brothers, Frederick and John.
The maximum punishment faced by each included a fine of up to $22,000 and six months in jail.
The advanced ages of the men, 76 and 74, and their lack of any capacity to pay substantial fines, must surely have been factors in the deliberations of the acting magistrate.
But Tony Murray was right to point out the object of the Fisheries Act was something that must be given proper consideration.
The point of the Act is not to spoil the party for the millions who enjoy fishing our waterways.
The point is to protect fish stocks and those species that are under threat, thereby protecting the time-honoured pastime of fishing for all who wish to enjoy it for generations to come.
