WA man fined thousands over accepting endangered species gift
A man who was given a green sawfish rostrum as a gift when he was a child has been fined thousands of dollars.
Joshua Hobby appeared in Karratha Magistrates Court on Thursday, and said he had not taken the sawfish himself.
He was given the 96cm-long rostrum as a gift when he was younger, and he kept it as an ornament.
When WA police searched his home in Nickol in May, they discovered the rostrum and Mr Hobby was charged with possessing the ornament.
In WA, green sawfish are listed as critically endangered and it is illegal to be in possession of a sawfish rostrum, or to catch and retain any sawfish.
Mr Hobby pleaded guilty to the offence, and was fined $6953.
Karratha supervising fisheries and marine officer Michael Dunne said the fine was an attempt to crackdown on fishermen who saw a market for sawfish as trophies or ornaments.
“The fine of almost $7000 handed down is a measure of how seriously the illegal fishing of this totally protected species is judged by the courts,” he said.
“Green sawfish are in need of every action possible to reverse its population decline globally and rather than having a rostrum in a ‘man cave’ it would be better for rostrums to be attached to a live sawfish swimming free in Pilbara and Kimberley marine environments or rivers.
“We don’t want the sawfish to go extinct in our state, like it has in many parts of the world.”