Fishing of the blue groper by any method will be prohibited in New South Wales under changes to be trialled by the state government, with penalties of up to six months in jail.
The blue groper, the NSW state fish, has been protected from spearfishing since 1969, and commercial fishing since 1980, but the changes announced on Wednesday will prohibit other forms of fishing, including line fishing.
The changes do not apply to Aboriginal cultural fishing.
“We have heard the community concerns and these new rules will make it clear to all water users that these fish should be admired but not targeted,” the agriculture minister, Tara Moriarty, said.
“With their bright blue colour, alongside their placid and curious nature, there is little wonder why these beautiful big fish are so well loved by our coastal communities.”
The changes follow two high-profile incidents of spearfishing of blue groper.
In late December a 26-year-old man was fined $800 after spearing a large male blue groper at Oak Park in Cronulla, in Sydney’s south.
The incident was highly publicised amid speculation the fish may have been the well-known “Gus the Groper”.
On 5 January, a man was alleged to have speared three blue gropers at Plantation Point near Jervis Bay.
Under the changes, a person taking blue groper in NSW by any method could face a $500 penalty, with potential court fines of $22,000 or six months in prison for the first offence and $44,000 or 12 months in prison for the second offence.
The trial will run for 12 months, during which time the Department of Primary Industries will consult about potential long-term fishing rules for blue groper, and there will also be an education campaign for fishers.
People alleged to have committed fishing offences rarely end up in court. In NSW, 1,459 people were fined for unlawfully fishing in the past 12 months, with 60 of those for spearfishing. In the past three years, only 204 fishers who broke the rules were taken to court, with eight of those spearfishers.
