Any fishing of NSW’s beloved blue groper could lead to jail under new ban

Yearlong trial of ban, including potential prison time, follows two high-profile recent incidents of spearing of protected fish

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Fishing of the blue groper by any method will be prohibited in New South Wales under changes to be trialled by the state government, with penalties of up to six months in jail.

The blue groper, the NSW state fish, has been protected from spearfishing since 1969 and commercial fishing since 1980, but the changes announced on Wednesday will prohibit other forms of fishing, including line fishing.