A South Durras angler who was caught fishing in a sanctuary zone of the Batemans Bay Marine Park has been fined $3000.
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Benjamin Adam Roberts, 41, did not appear when his matter was heard in Batemans Bay Local Court on Monday.
He was charged with one count of harming or attempting to harm any animal in a sanctuary zone and a second of failing to pay a fishing fee.
NSW Fisheries said Roberts was caught fishing in the Tollgate Islands sanctuary zone of Batemans Bay Marine Park in June 2016.
Roberts told officers he knew he was in a sanctuary zone at the time and did not possess a permit, court documents showed.
“[I] had a quick shot and got busted,” Roberts said at the time.
Magistrate Doug Dick fined Roberts $3000. He received an additional $500 fine for fishing without having paid a fee.
Roberts was convicted of a similar offence in the Batemans Bay Marine Park in 2009 and ordered to pay $600.