Fishy act lands fine

A LYNBROOK woman was recently convicted and fined for illegally taking pipis from Venus Bay last year.
The woman was one of a group of five family members from Lynbrook and Narre Warren South who were prosecuted after each took and possessed more than eight times the pipi daily catch limit in January 2011.
The court heard the group took a total of 80 litres of pipi, or bivalve shellfish, from Venus Bay. The daily catch limit for pipi is two litres in the shell or half a litre of meat per person.
The offenders were caught after a report was made to the Fisheries 24-hour intelligence reporting line.
All five adults pleaded guilty to charges, which included failing to hold Recreational Fishing Licences. The Lynbrook woman was fined a total of $700 in Dandenong Magistrates’ Court.
Two other members of the group, who had previous fisheries offences, were convicted, fined $700 each and ordered to pay the Department of Primary Industries’ costs in early 2011.
As first-time offenders, the other two members of the group received fines of $300 each.
Anyone who suspects illegal fishing activity is encouraged to call 13FISH (13 3474).
Helpful information includes the type of offence, date and time, number of people involved, registration numbers of boats and vehicles, and any equipment being used. All information is handled in strict confidence.