NSW Fisheries seize illegal fish aggregation device
by RFA of NSW 24 Feb 2022 06:49 UTC
On 13 January 2022 NSW Fisheries Officers were conducting offshore patrols in Fisheries Patrol Vessel OPV Sydney Swan. During this offshore patrol, an illegally set Fish Aggregation Device (FAD) was detected east of Blue Fish Point near Manly Beach.
Using the OPV Sydney Swan winch capabilities, the illegal FAD was pulled onto the vessel. With over 100 metres of line and a tyre filled with concrete used as a makeshift anchor, this was no easy feat. The risks of illegal FADs include damage to the seabed, navigational hazards, marine life entanglement and interference with NSW DPI's FAD monitoring and tagging research program.
The illegal FAD also undermines the efforts by responsible fishers by creating an unfair advantage when accessing the resource. In the coming months, the OPV Sydney Swan will continue to target illegal FADs, as well as deploying new FADs as part of the DPI FAD deployment program.
FADs are strategically placed along the NSW coast during the warmer months. There are currently eight FADs deployed in the Sydney area. A total of 30 FADs are currently deployed and maintained by the Department from Tweed Heads in the state's north to Eden in the south. When you purchase a NSW Recreational Fishing Licence, you are directly contributing to the deployment and maintenance of NSW's FADs. Locations of these FADs can be found on the DPI Fisheries website.