Aussie man fined $300 for eating his campsite catch: 'Ridiculous'

An Australian camping trip near the Murray River ended with a $300 fine after campers cut their Murray cod into steaks. Paul Surdu recounted that a 57 cm fish was caught by a friend at Gulpa Forest near Echuca, New South Wales, and cooked with polenta. A fisheries officer later explained that the fish should not have been cut into steaks because it could not be properly measured or identified, and that the head and tail must be retained for inspection. Australian regulations set a 55–75 cm slot for Murray Cod, prohibiting filleting or removing the head or tail. The offense cited was 'Mutilate restricted species of fish in or adjacent to any waters'.