The Federal Court has sent a strong message to companies conducting illegal fishing activities within Australian Marine Parks, with a commercial fishing company fined $90,000 for trap fishing within the Oceanic Shoals Australian Marine Park.
The Oceanic Shoals located about 150 kilometres north-west of Darwin, covers an area of about 71,743 square kilometres and supports a range of diverse habitats including sponges, soft corals, sea snakes, sharks and fish and provides invaluable resting and feeding areas for breeding flatback turtles.
Australia is responsible for one of the world’s largest marine jurisdictions, with marine parks playing a critical role in the conservation of natural, cultural, heritage and socio-economic values.
In addition to the Federal Court’s decision, Parks Australia issued a penalty infringement notice of $2,220 to the master of the vessel under regulation 12.34 of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Regulations 2000 (Cth).
Director of National Parks, Ricky Archer said “I welcome the Federal Court’s penalty decision this week, which will help build awareness of marine parks and support greater compliance with fishing regulations.
“The vast majority of fishers do the right thing and respect the rules of our marine parks, but unfortunately that isn’t always the case and it’s our responsibility as the guardian of these parks to protect valuable marine habitats and the species that live within them.
“We will continue to support sustainable use of our marine parks for industries such as fishing and tourism, while also ensuring the diverse marine life can thrive to be enjoyed by future generations.”
