out of season marroning

[groverwa]

Found this on the Fisheries West Aust media:-

Big penalties to deter out of season marron fishers

Date: Tuesday, 9 June 2009

A decision to go marron fishing, the night before the limited season for the wild fishery opened in January this year, has cost three Collie men a total of more than $13,000 in fines, penalties and court costs.

The sentencing in Bunbury’s Magistrates Court last Friday (5 June) was the sequel to an incident at Harris River Dam, near Collie, where the men were found in joint possession of 89 marron.

Fisheries and Marine Officers apprehended the men at 1am on Friday 16 January 2009 – the Marron season was not due to open until Noon on that Friday.

The marron, which had been placed in an esky, were seized by the officers and returned to the water, after they had been counted and measured.

57-year-old Bruce Wayne HART and 24-year-old Allen James MICHAEL were each fined $500 for being in joint possession of the marron during a closed season and also ordered to pay a mandatory penalty of $3560 each, plus court costs of $114.20 each.

29-year-old Bevan Jabez HART was also ordered to pay the same fine, the mandatory penalty for the marron involved and court costs for the joint possession charge, but, in addition, he was fined a further $500 for stating a false name and address to the Fisheries Officers.

All the men had pleaded guilty to the offences they were charged with.

Acting Regional Manager for the Southern Region, Graeme Hall said the fines were appropriate for the offences and should act as a significant deterrent to people who might be tempted to fish for marron outside the assigned season for the wild fishery.

“It was a difficult investigation for the Fisheries and Marine Officers, especially dealing with one case of false identity, but the outcome vindicates their efforts,” he said.

“While the majority of fishers do the right thing each year, in the lead up to the marron season there are a few people who try to jump the gun. However, with fines like this – more than $13,000 – it becomes clear why it is foolhardy to fish for marron out of season.

“The rules for WA’s iconic wild marron fishery have been made to keep it sustainable and ensure there are stocks in rivers and marron fishing dams for the next season.”

[Aunty Jack]

Not trying to be smart but whats a marron.

[groverwa]

This may be a bit over the top for some but here it is anyway


Marron taste very nice but the main fun is in getting out in the bush, finding a good spot, getting pissed and hopefully getting some


Marron

The scientific names for the two species of marron are currently under review.


Marron are the largest freshwater crayfish in the South West of WA and one of the largest freshwater crayfish species on earth. Before the introduction of other freshwater fishes, marron were the largest animal in the rivers of the South West. Originally only found between Harvey and Albany, the range of marron has been extended by the ‘seeding' of rivers and irrigation dams with juvenile marron, along with their use in aquaculture ventures. Marron are now found in rivers and dams between the Hutt River (north of Geraldton) to east of Esperance. There are small populations of marron in dams in the Goldfields.
Marron prefer sandy areas in rivers and dams, particularly where detritus (organic matter) accumulates. Marron like areas which have lots of structure (fallen trees, rocks) but do not tolerate high salinity.


Marron possess five keels along their head, three pairs of short spines on the rostrum, two small spines on the telson and narrow, pincer-like chelipeds (claws). They range in colour from jet-black to brown or even cobalt-blue, a rare natural version now farmed for aquariums.
There are two marron species found in WA. Smooth marron are widespread and found in most rivers and dams of the South West. They are what most marroners have seen and captured and are the farmed aquaculture species.
Hairy marron are found almost exclusively in the upper reaches of the Margaret River. The head and sometimes tail (larger marron) are covered in clusters of short hairs. The central keel also extends all the way to the cervical groove. The upper reaches of the Margaret River are now closed to recreational fishing. So, if you capture a hairy marron in the Margaret River, please put it back immediately.

Hairy marron are threatened by the smooth marron that has become established throughout the Margaret River. Plans are underway to assist the recovery of this endangered species. You too can help by releasing all hairy marron that you may capture in the Margaret River.
Recreational fishers in WA need a licence to catch marron. During the open season (usually in January and February). Detailed information about marron fishing is available from here.
Marron can grow more than 380 mm (total length) and they are usually measured from the tip of the rostrum to the back of their carapace. Details on the legal minimum size of marron is available here.




The info below came from The West Aust paper: -

Even without us catching them, marron have been doing it tough over the past few years.

For starters, climate change has reduced the rainfall in the South-West and demands for water have also affected water levels in the marron’s natural habitat.

Marron are the biggest freshwater crayfish native to South-West WA and are important in natural ecosystems. The tasty critters take four or more years to reach legal size and are vulnerable to over-fishing.

To ensure the long-term sustainability of marron stocks new rules were introduced last year that included increasing the minimum legal size limit to 80mm and establishing a possession limit of 20 marron.

Places where you can fish for marron have become fewer. As a result of WA’s booming population, some of the bigger dams where marron have been fished in the past are being converted to supply drinking water, while others are plagued with predatory feral fish such as redfin perch that eat juvenile marron.