May 2nd, 2024Fishy behaviour tackled in state’s south west

Victoria Police Marine Search and Rescue team and Fisheries Victoria have joined forces to tackle fishy activity across the state’s south-west as part of Operation Barrel in recent days.

Over four days, including the weekend of April 27-28, fishermen launched their boats across Apollo Bay, Portland and Cape Bridgewater, looking to reel in blue-fin tuna.

It is estimated the big catch can weigh more than 150kg and are worth up to $5000 on the black market.

The four-day operation saw the Water Police assess around 300 boats, but not all went swimmingly for a few of these keen fishers.

Out of the 110 boats that were checked, 10 were fined for failing to maintain safety equipment to fish offshore.

Water Police also attended marine parks in Cape Bridgewater and handed out three $200 penalties for those caught illegally fishing in protected waters.

The teams continued to patrol the waterways across Cape Otway until the operation wrapped up on Tuesday afternoon.

Leading Senior Constable Shaun Wallace: “The Bass Strait waterway are considered some of the most dangerous in Australia as boats fishing for big game are subjected to strong winds and extreme weather changes in treacherous conditions.”

“Complacency is a huge issue when it comes to this kind of game fishing. It doesn’t seem like much but not meeting those minimum safety requirements can be the difference between life and death out on the water.”

“Our patrols also found a lot of new boats are not equipped with a standard magnetic compass. People forget that if the boat runs out of power and without navigation, you have little chance of finding your way home.”