Fishers 'Laughed' as They Shot Protected Seals

Tweet

This is disgusting!!!!! By staff reporters December 16, 2006 12:00am Article from: Font size: + - Send this article: Print Email A FISHING boat captain and his deckhand were laughing and cheering as they shot at protected fur seals in a national park at Victoria's Wilsons Promontory. The Korumburra Magistrates Court, in Victoria's southeast, heard yesterday that the men were seen drinking beer as they shot at a colony of fur seals - the world's fourth-rarest seal species - on Kanowna Island. Boat captain Paul Goodwin, 29, pleaded guilty to nine charges yesterday, including conduct endangering life, using firearms in a dangerous manner, aggravated cruelty and hunting and destroying wildlife. Police prosecutor Marie Fidone told the court a university study group on the island saw two men on a fishing boat laughing, yelling and cheering as they shot at seals. The students alleged about 100 shots were fired at the seals in one hour as they were coming out of the water. The students had to duck for cover, fearing for their lives. Lawyer Chris Carr, representing Goodwin, told the court his client admitted going into the marine park, shooting at seals and that at least two seals were injured. He said events following the incident had destroyed both Goodwin's life and his fishing career and that he had received death threats and hate mail. He said his client accepted that he had done something wrong but asked the magistrate not to jail him. Mr Carr told the court Goodwin was previously the "pin-up boy of the fishing industry", to which he had contributed much, but was now no longer a part of. Mr Carr said his client was extremely remorseful for his actions and was absolutely horrified to discover there were people on Kanowna Island and that he had impacted on their research project. Magistrate Steven Raleigh described Goodwin's behaviour as abhorrent and said that any right-minded person would feel the same. He sentenced him to a six-month intensive correction order to include unpaid work, counselling and treatment. Mr Raleigh said he recognised that Goodwin had no prior convictions, was remorseful and had been punished in other ways for his behaviour. AAP