Two interstate anglers will be summonsed after allegedly exceeding the bag limit for barramundi on the Daly River and freighting the fish down south.

The Officer in Charge of Water Police, Acting Senior Sergeant Jamie O’Brien, said the amateur fishermen had been camping and fishing at the Daly River over the past three weeks and allegedly regularly driving to Darwin to freight the barramundi interstate.

“The couple were stopped by Police at 6.30am on Friday 25 May on the Daly River Road as they headed to Darwin. Fourteen barramundi fillets – the equivalent of seven fish – were allegedly found in a freezer in the car,” Acting Senior Sergeant O’Brien said.

“The Daly River is one of the Territory’s iconic destinations, and a world famous fishing spot.

“The Daly River Management Zone is an area of management significance for barramundi fish stock, and there’s a three-fish per person limit.”

The pair will be summonsed for:

Exceed amateur possession limit – Barramundi – Fish Management Zone.

The fish were seized under the Fisheries Act.

Acting Senior Sergeant O’Brien said the Act was in place to protect fish stock.

“People who catch more than their bag limit and freight large quantities of fish interstate will be an ongoing focus for the Water Police throughout this dry season,” he said.

Other Water Police activities during the past week in the Daly River area have discovered a large number of either non-complying or unmarked cherabin pots.

Acting Senior Sergeant O’Brien urged people fishing the Daly River for cherabin, also known as fresh water prawns, to become familiar with the requirements under the Fisheries Regulations.

“Water Police conducted checks on a large number of cherabin pots along the Daly River and found many to not comply with the regulations,” he said.

“Fishermen are required to mark their pots with their first and last name on a float which must be at least 80 millimetres in length or diameter.

“A cherabin pot must be constructed of flexible net with a mesh size of no less than 15 millimetres that is stretched over a metal frame.

“All the non-compliant pots have, on this occasion, been seized and will be destroyed.”