A NARRANDERA restaurateur has been fined more than $7000 and handed a 12-month good behaviour bond after Department of Primary Industries (DPI) fisheries officers found endangered fish on his premises.
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In addition to the $7300 fine he was issued, the 63-year-old restaurant owner has been ordered to pay $1220 in professional costs as a result of the trout cod and prohibited numbers of other species they found.
The investigators uncovered amounts of Murray cod and golden perch at the restaurant that exceeded the legal possession limits.
DPI director of fisheries compliance Glenn Tritton said the conviction sent a strong message that illegal fishing activity would be deal with by the courts.
"Trout cod are an endangered species and it is an offence to take, harm or be in possession of them," he said.
"The possession limit for Murray cod is four per person and the possession limit for golden perch is 10."
Mr Tritton said the fish were found in two freezers at the restaurant and were believed to have been purchased from illegal fishers around Narrandera.
The restaurant owner pleaded guilty to the offences in Narrandera Local Court in April but appealed his sentence on severity grounds.
The fines and bond were upheld when his appeal was heard in Griffith District Court last month.
Mr Tritton said it was important trout cod remained protected.
"Trout cod were once widespread throughout the Murray Darling system but have declined over the last several decades and are at a critical stage of their recovery," he said.
"The taking of the endangered species trout cod threatens the sustainability of this species which are still considered in danger of extinction."
