Marron grab too much for Water Corp

Poachers are smashing through the Water Corporation's gates and fences to steal marron from creeks and dams that are supposed to be protected for public drinking supplies.

The State-owned utility has confirmed that it was grappling with the "issue" of marron poaching from properties it controls across the Perth Hills, South West and Great Southern.

Fishing for marron, a type of crayfish that is found in fresh inland waterways, is only allowed for a brief period between January 8 and February 5 each year.

LATEST MINISTER WEIGHS IN ON LIVE MUSIC CRISIS SEARCH FOR MISSING NSW TODDLER WIDENS BALI NINE LAWYER VAGUE ON BRIBERY CLAIMS WATER UTILITY HITS NON-PAYERS THOUSANDS MARCH FOR SLAIN RUSSIAN POLITICIAN FACEBOOK FEUD ENDS WITH US GIRL DEAD WILDCATS OUT AS TAIPANS SWEEP SEMIFINAL SERIES

Fishers are entitled to take five of the crustaceans a day - each with a minimum size of 90mm - in so-called trophy waters, while they can take eight a day of at least 80mm in size in all other open waters.

With this year's season just finished, the Water Corporation said it was investigating several incidents where people had illegally accessed protected drinking water catchments to pilfer marron.

In one instance, poachers crashed a four-wheel-drive through the gate of a Water Corporation property east of Albany after-dark to plunder dams that were full of marron, causing thousands of dollars of damage in the process.

A Water Corporation spokeswoman said the utility did not keep specific records of incidents of marron poaching and could not quantify the costs it had incurred from the activity in recent years. However, she noted that extra "catchment rangers" had been employed to patrol the Perth Hills in recent years.

The spokeswoman also pointed out marron fishing was allowed "in a number" of the utility's dams.

"Water Corporation works closely with the Department of Fisheries to control illegal fishing and marroning in drinking water dams and has initiated a number of successful prosecutions," she said.

See the original post here:
Marron grab too much for Water Corp