Who was involved & where it happened

A commercial master based at Lakes Entrance (Vic) pleaded guilty in the Bairnsdale Magistrates’ Court (15 January 2025) to four offences: two counts of mistreating shark bycatch, landing an illegal catch of Australian salmon from a no-take zone/licence, and failing to keep an accurate logbook. AFMA built the brief with electronic monitoring (EM) footage from the vessel. AFMA

What happened (facts & timeline)

• 15 May 2023: EM captured the master stabbing an angel shark repeatedly before discarding it—forming one mistreatment count. AFMA
• 19 May 2023: The e-log omitted five discarded sharks—forming the inaccurate reporting charge. AFMA
• 20 May 2023: The vessel unloaded Australian salmon taken from waters adjacent to Victoria/Tasmania where the species was no-take under the relevant licence—forming the illegal catch count. AFMA
• 8 June 2023: EM recorded the master forcing open the mouth of a Port Jackson shark with a device before returning it—forming the second mistreatment count. AFMA
• 22 Jan 2025 (media release): The court convicted the master and imposed $4,000 in fines plus costs. AFMA

The legal issues

• Bycatch welfare obligations: Commonwealth fisheries rules govern how bycatch must be treated and recorded—mistreatment is chargeable in its own right. EM provides objective evidence. AFMA
• No-take species/licence conditions: Australian salmon was no-take for this operation in the relevant waters; licence conditions are binding and can vary across borders and seasons. AFMA
• Record-keeping accuracy: E-log entries must faithfully record catch and discards; omissions are an offence and often uncovered by cross-checking EM. AFMA

Outcome & remedies

• Convictions + $4,000 in fines and costs. AFMA emphasised that mistreatment and reporting failures will be pursued, and that penalties can be significant. AFMA

How this could have been avoided

• Crew training on bycatch handling: Make species ID & handling part of every pre-season induction. Reinforce humane, quick-release methods (e.g., de-hooking tools, careful support, minimal air exposure). AFMA
• EM-aligned logging practice: After each haul, reconcile e-log entries with the EM timeline; institute a “discard double-check” step before transmission. AFMA
• Licence map cards: Produce waterproof licence-condition cue cards at the helm—especially for bordering waters (Vic/Tas)—flagging no-take species per method/licence. AFMA

Lessons for wild-catch operators

1. Your cameras will testify. EM footage now routinely underpins prosecutions; assume every interaction with bycatch may be reviewed. AFMA
2. Welfare is compliance. Humane treatment isn’t just ethics—it’s law. Improper handling of angel and Port Jackson sharks turned into separate charges. AFMA
3. Discard data matters. Missing five sharks from an e-log was enough to support a reporting offence. Accuracy beats speed. AFMA
4. Know your “no-take” in shared waters. Australian salmon status changed with licence/water adjacency; misreads become “illegal catch” counts. AFMA

A simple on-board compliance routine

• Before lines/pots in: Skipper reads out today’s constraints (no-take species, trip limits, park edges) and assigns a “logbook buddy.”
• During haul: Logbook buddy calls discards while deck leads best-practice handling.
• After haul: 90-second EM-to-log cross-check: tally discards; confirm no-take species handling; sign off before next set/shot.
• End of day: Export EM timestamps and e-log receipt to a cloud folder for quick retrieval if AFMA queries.

Social media posts

• LinkedIn: EM footage doesn’t blink. A Lakes Entrance master copped convictions for shark mistreatment, illegal salmon, and missing e-log entries. Train for humane handling + log what you discard. #AFMA #Bycatch #eLogs #WildCatch #Compliance AFMA
• X: Cameras roll, courts read. Treat bycatch right and log every discard. #FisheriesLaw #Bycatch #Sharks #AustralianSalmon AFMA
• Facebook: From “no-take” to “illegal catch” is a short step if you don’t check licence conditions across borders. #KnowYourLicence #AFMA #CommercialFishing AFMA

Bonus context (for your newsletter intros or sidebars)

• AFMA’s 2024–25 enforcement picture: 273 Indonesian nationals prosecuted for illegal foreign fishing in that financial year—>3× the year prior—with fines totalling $359k plus imprisonment in some cases. It’s a clear signal on cross-border deterrence and cooperation with ABF/MBC and Indonesian authorities. AFMA