- Fish was speared off a rock wall
- Last incident after blue groper ‘Gus’ was speared
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Angry locals have erupted after three men allegedly stabbed an ‘iconic’ groperfish to death, calling on the group to hand themselves in.
The fishermen are believed to have speared the fish off a cliff face at Amity Point on North Stradbroke Island off the south-east Queensland coast on Tuesday afternoon.
Photos taken by an onlooker showed the reef-dwelling fish floating in the sea next to a fisherman in a wetsuit and snorkel.
Dr. Daryl McPhee, a fisheries expert and associate professor at Bond University, said the death of the ‘iconic’ groper has angered locals who fish in the area.
“These creatures are the Bambi of the sea,” said Dr. McPhee.
“Any true spearfisherman knows that spearing a groper is illegal and poses no challenge whatsoever.”
Angry locals are outraged after three men allegedly murdered a Queensland payer on Tuesday (pictured)
The incident is said to have taken place in a part of the water where spearfishing is permitted.
It was reported to officials at the Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries.
Dr. McPhee said the alleged fishermen should do the right thing and report to authorities.
“They should be prosecuted to the full weight of the law and if convicted, they should receive a sentence commensurate with the community’s outrage,” he said.
‘Extra attention should be paid to training spearfishermen. They need to know the law and what fish is before they jump in the water and kill something.”
A spokesperson for the department told Daily Mail Australia an investigation into the incident was ongoing.
The latest incident comes after a fisherman sparked community outrage when he speared another large fish in the Oak Park rock pool in Cronulla in Sydney’s south in December last year.
The large fish was seen motionless on the water (pictured) in heartbreaking scenes after the animal was reportedly speared
Dr. Daryl McPhee (pictured) said the alleged fishermen should face the full force of the law for their actions
Angry locals, who feared it was the beloved blue payer known as ‘Gus’, criticized the fisherman for killing it after emerging from the water with the sea creature in his arms.
The man was fined $800 for unlawfully killing the fish.
Queensland grovers are listed as a protected species after decades of being commercially fished, and remain frequent targets of spearfishermen.
The animals – which can grow up to three meters in length and live for around 50 years – must be released once caught.
Individuals who engage in groping face fines of up to $11,000 and up to three months in jail.