A JOINT investigation by the Victorian Fisheries Authority and NSW DPI Fisheries has resulted in the most significant penalty relating to a freshwater species in Victoria in the last 20 years.

The investigation found that between 2017 and 2019, a 40-year-old man had illegally netted almost 12 tonnes of golden perch from the Darling River and sold them on 56 occasions for a total of $205,600.