A 38 year-old man has pleaded guilty to unlawfully possessing a whitebait net within 100 metres of an inland water in the state’s northwest.
Dion Melvin HOUSE, of Smithton, was detected with the net at Deep Creek, which is a closed water for whitebait fishing.
House was convicted in Smithton Magistrates Court and fined $477, and was ordered to pay costs of $82.15.
This follows the conviction of another Smithton man who was fined more than $1,000 in the Burnie court recently for unlawfully possessing whitebait and a whitebait net in the same area.
Heavy penalties and strict regulations exist to protect this fishery, which was almost wiped out by over fishing.