Illegal catch stashed under the floor of his boat

Every bunch has a bad grape, but when you hear of a 70-year-old man being caught stashing undersized bream in a secret compartment in his boat you have to wonder how long this sod has been on the nose.

The old man from East Kyeemagh, Sydney, was inspected at the Kyeemagh Boat Ramp on the Cooks River, which feeds into Botany Bay, where he reportedly told NSW Fisheries officers that he had 10 Yellowfin Bream in a bucket on board his boat.

Fisheries Officers conducted a search of the boat where another 10 Yellowfin Bream were found — eight were hidden beneath a screwed down panel in the deck of the boat and two were found hidden in the pockets of a jumper stored in the bow.

Five of the concealed Yellowfin Bream were of a prohibited size and Fisheries officers were able to release one of them alive. Nine Yellowfin Bream were seized and retained as evidence.

The man was issued $1000 in fines for taking more than the daily limit and possessing undersize fish. The daily bag limit for Yellowfin Bream in NSW is 10 per day and the minimum size is 25cm.

Hopefully, that’s the end of this crook’s fishing, but it would send an even stronger message if this guy’s modified boat was seized in the process of being caught.

The fish stashed under the floor were stashed in ziplock plastic bags. This isn't the first time anglers have been caught, in NSW and Victoria, concealing fish in their boats. Fisheries Officers know all the tricks, however, as this bust of a 'A Crook from The Cooks' attests.

In 2002, Botany Bay was declared a Recreational Fishing Haven after the small commercial fleet in the bay was paid fair compensation from fishing licence funds.

The Cooks River, Georges River and Botany Bay itself remain incredibly popular and productive recreational fisheries despite the commercial shipping traffic, airport and its runways, and environmental challenges.

For information go to NSW Fishing Size and Bag Limits.