An Aussie community is furious after a man emerged from the ocean with an illegally speared eastern blue groper on Sunday in front of a horrified crowd. Witnesses reportedly confronted the visitor after he pulled the distinct and protected large fish from the water at Terrigal Haven, on the NSW Central Coast.
A photo posted on a local Facebook page has since spread like wildfire and ignited outrage among locals, some of whom have called for spearfishing to be banned entirely at the popular coastal spot.
“The same idiots that are unaware of wildlife laws are swimming with loaded spearguns in areas where lots of people (especially kids) are swimming,” the person who snapped the image wrote online, deeming the decision a “no-brainer”.
“It’s not called ‘The Haven’ for nothing.”
However, longtime participants in the sport have also slammed the man’s act, arguing that one person’s bad behaviour does not represent an entire group.
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Man reports to police after authorities seize blue groper
An investigation into the spear fisherman’s illegal act is underway, a spokesperson for the NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) confirmed to Yahoo News.
Fisheries officers interviewed the man at the scene and seized the blue groper, as well as all of his fishing gear. Afterwards, he voluntarily reported the incident to the police, the spokesperson explained.
“The matter is still under investigation, and appropriate compliance action will be undertaken.”
A blue groper seen swimming underwater. Source: Supplied/NCA NewsWire
Eastern Blue Groper have been protected from spearfishing in NSW since 1969 and from all other methods, including line fishing, since March 2024 when a controversial ban was introduced following a series of incidents.
Anyone caught breaking the new rules, which have been extended for another three years to “enable further research and monitoring of the species”, faces a $500 on-the-spot fine and/or a maximum court-imposed fine of $22,000 and six months in prison for a first offence.
Those breaking the rules a second time face a $44,000 penalty or 12 months imprisonment — or both.
“Fishers and spear fishers must make themselves aware of the rules regarding their activities before they undertake any fishing or spearfishing,” the spokesperson said. “Information is available through the FishSmart App or DPIRD Fisheries website.”
Fisherman appears to be very inexperienced
Speaking to Yahoo, Malcolm Poole, Safety Project Officer for the Recreational Fishing Alliance of NSW, likened the incident to the spearing and killing of a blue groper in the Cronulla region early last year.
The 26-year-old man was slapped with an $800 fine for that act, a punishment that people called “pathetic”.
Early last year, another fisher sparked anger among those living in the Cronulla region when he speared and killed a beloved blue groper locals had named Gus. Source: Facebook
“What happened here is an inexperienced person in spear fishing who had no knowledge of what he was allowed to take or spear, or where he could spear,” Malcolm said, noting signs urging fishers not to target blue groper are posted at Terrigal Haven.
“So the person just wanted to go do something, and he didn’t follow the rules, he didn’t know what he was doing.”
That’s clear to see when looking at the photos that have been shared on social media, Malcolm said.
“Number one, he doesn’t have a weight belt. Number two, he’s wearing a surfing wetsuit,” Malcolm explained.
“Number three, he is walking around with a loaded spear gun. Number four, he didn’t have a float and a flag to say that there’s a person down.”
Spearfishers argue against blanket ban at Terrigal Haven
Greg Sansom, a member of the Central Coast Sealions Spearfishing Club, agreed that the fisher’s appearance and behaviour indicate “a lack of understanding of basic spearfishing etiquette, safety, and conservation responsibilities”.
“We support an appropriate penalty for this offence and hope it reinforces the importance of knowing and following NSW fishing regulations before entering the water with a speargun,” he posted online.
“However, we strongly reject calls to use this isolated incident as justification for banning spearfishing at Terrigal Haven.
“One individual’s unlawful actions should not be used to unfairly vilify the many responsible, conservation-minded spearfishers who follow the rules and respect the marine environment.”
You can report suspected illegal fishing activity to the Fishers Watch phone line on 1800 043 536 or via the online reporting form.
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