Fisheries (Amateur Fishing) Regulations 2013, regs 18, 19; Criminal Procedure Act 2011, s 375
If you’ve taken undersize fish or shellfish, you’ll be given an infringement notice carrying a $250 fine. If you’ve taken more than three times over the daily catch limit, you’ll face criminal charges in court, and if some of those were undersize you’ll also face a separate charge for that and a separate fine if the judge convicts you of it.
Usually you’ll be fined around $500 for the undersize fish (the maximum fine is $10,000). However, even though you’ll have to pay the fine, you won’t get a formal criminal conviction for the undersize offence. Undersize fishing can’t give you a criminal record, regardless of whether you’re only given an infringement notice for it or whether it’s included with other fisheries charges that you face in court.