Fined fisherman 'only trying to catch dinner'
FIRST ON 7: A struggling disability pensioner has copped a hefty fine for fishing in a no-go zone at an Adelaide lake, where he said he was just trying to catch some dinner.
Ryan Francis often fishes at West Lakes, but an incident on a Saturday night last year has landed him in hot water.
He and a friend were fishing off rocks in a prohibited area.
“I was hungry, I had nothing to eat, I had no money so I came here to catch a fish,” he said.
“There’s bream in here, there is flounder here, even though most people deny it, mulloway and salmon trout.”
When Charles Sturt Council security officer Jack Daniels asked them to move on, Mr Francis refused and became abusive.
The council took Mr Francis to court, where he was today fined $2100.
“There is absolutely no way I can afford anything like that high, not a chance, I’m a pensioner so I’ve got nothing,” he said.
The council told the court it banned fishing in the area years ago because of safety concerns and complaints from neighbours.
It said there are dozens of other spots around the lake where people are allowed to fish, but Mr Francis chose to fish in the no fishing zone.
Mr Francis has vowed to appeal.
“It’s more important for me to know that everybody can come down here in a real desperate situation and feed themselves, to take that away from somebody, it’s just not right,” Mr Francis said.
