DPI/Fisheries have advised that since March this year, their "Operation Small Fry" has identified more than 5000 illegally harvested fish and shellfish.
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Fisheries officers detected more than 1300 offences during the operation with a whopping $102,500 worth of on-the-spot fines handed out to those caught possessing or selling prohibited size fish.
To read the full story visit www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/about-us/media-centre/releases/2019/big-stick-for-small-fry-fishing-offences.
If you suspect illegal fishing activity you can report it by calling Fishers Watch on 1800 043 536 or online on the NSW DPI Fisheries website.
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Luke from Leisure Coast Bait and Tackle at Corrimal reported the perfect weather and sea conditions last weekend saw the Bellambi boat ramp carpark at overflow status with some trailers parked way up near the Water Board treatment plant.
Earlier this week pretty well saw much the same with many crews on the water before the grey of dawn.
Some excellent snapper catches graced the cleaning tables and guys indicated the mirror-flat seas enabled them to bottom donk with baits and jig with plastics in shallow areas that were normally out of reach with wave action and white water.
Some of these 2 kilo plus reds were from very shallow water.
Eastern blue spot flatties were also targeted and although the mill pond conditions made drifting a bit of a challenge, the slight current out wider did help and some flatties over 60cm came over the gunwales.
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A recent gamefish tagging report shows a juvenile black marlin released by Shane Gageler aboard Newcastle & Port Stephens GFC vessel Whitedog has recently been recaptured.
Interestingly, the marlin has crossed the equator during its travels making it a very unique recapture for the program since its release back on March 13, 2018 off Seal Rocks, NSW, estimated at 20 kilos and 1500mm long at lower jaw to fork length.
It was recaptured by an Indonesian longline vessel fishing around the Saipan Seamounts, off the east coast of the Northern Mariana Islands roughly same length but weighed in at 22 kilos.
The marlin had travelled an incredible straight line distance of 2866 nautical miles (5300km) having spent only 86 days at liberty.
