The Karajarri Rangers discovered a boat and tractor which they believe was used to assist in the illegal netting of salmon in Whistle Creek.
Whistle Creek is on exclusive possession Karajarri Native Title land and pastoral lease, which requires visitors to seek permission from Traditional Owners before they can go there.
Trespass on exclusive possession Native Title land is a growing problem, with repeated incidents occurring in the past year.
In a bid to combat trespass and protect their country, the Karajarri Rangers have been conducting regular patrols along the coast throughout the tourist season, confronting trespassers and recording their registration numbers.
Securing a conviction for trespass or illegal fishing is hard to achieve without catching people in the act, as the Karajarri Rangers discovered last month.
The Karajarri Rangers said the best way to deal with the issue was to record the details of the incident, call the police and Department of Fisheries and take photos documenting the scene.
After discovering fresh and heavy tyre tracks, the Karajarri Rangers did some investigation work and found a tractor and a 22 foot boat on a beach under exclusive possession Native Title.
A shredded tyre on the boat trailer, had forced the fisherman to abandon it and the fishing vessel, which contained a small dinghy, several large nets and eskies filled with ice.
Netting salmon in Whistle Creek, which is what the rangers believed the fisherman were doing, is banned in the area to all people except Traditional Owners. A call to the Department of Fisheries revealed a prior complaint had been made about the same boat netting salmon in Whistle Creek a few days earlier.
Hard evidence of these incidents is needed to secure a conviction and should include photos of the boat’s registration number. GPS points, a compass bearing and an identifiable landmark.
