www.ntnews.com.au Saturday, December 7, 2013. NT NEWS. 9

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EVENTS

waterfront.nt.gov.au facebook.com/darwinwaterfront

7 Kitchener Drive, Darwin Waterfront

Santa Fest at the Wave Lagoon Sunday 15 & Sunday 22 December

Santa is throwing a party at the Wave Lagoon from 11am to 2pm so put on your togs and get ready to join the Santa Fest with loads of fun including a disco party and dance competitions, Christmas craft, loads of beach balls, prizes up for grabs and Christmas treats from Santa! Normal entry fees apply.

Regular Events Free beginners Tai Chi Saturdays 7am.

Last session Sat 14 Dec 2013 resuming Sat 1 Feb 2014. Wave Lagoon Aqua Zumba Sundays 9am.

Ad $12, Ch $8 inc AM entry until 2pm. Last class for 2013 Sun 8 Dec 2013. Classes will resume Sun 12 Jan 2014. May be cancelled if raining, check website.

The waterfront parklands are alcohol and glass free.

Paid parking applies 7 days. Park 2 hrs FREE in Kitchener Drive

multi-storey carpark or $2 for 3hrs & $4 for 4hrs. P

Report problem crocodiles. Darwin:

0419 822 859

Katherine:

0407 958 405

Crocs can be found in any waterway in the Top End.

Only swim in designated swimming areas that have signs

- no sign, no swim. Croc danger is real. Don’t risk your life.

www.nt.gov.au/becrocwise

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Fishing fake easily hookedBy ZACH HOPE

Undercover cops pose as NT tour groupA ROGUE tour operator gotmore than he bargained forwhen the group he thought hewas ripping off turned out tobe undercover cops.

Water police had been tip-ped off Mark Geering, fromLucindale in South Australia,had been conducting fishingtours from King Ash Bay eachyear without a licence underthe name Northern TerritoryFishing Adventures.

Officers emailed Geeringand travelled to King Ash Bayposing as civilians, wherethey were told they couldbook a fully guided fishingtrip for eight days to theNorth Island in the Gulf ofCarpentaria for $2000 each.

They met Geering at 6.30amon September 2 at the KingAsh Bay boat ramp and, not-

ing he had duly suppliedenough provisions for eightdays, made their move.

On Wednesday, he wasfound guilty in the DarwinCourt of Summary Jurisdic-tion of operating an un-licensed business and using anunregistered fishing vessel.He was fined more than $9000.

Geering also received an

eviction notice from the KingAsh Bay Fishing Club.

Water Police Senior Con-stable Sean Stanley, alicensed fishing tour operatorbefore joining the force, than-ked Territorians for their helpin ridding the waterways ofrogue operators.

‘‘There are a lot of costs in-volved with being a fishing

tour operator,’’ he said. ‘‘Youhave licence fees, wages topay, public liability, boat andvessel insurance, food and ac-commodation expenses, ad-vertising costs and wear andtear on your vehicle, boatand trailer.

‘‘When you have rogueoperators coming into theTerritory and offering fishing

tours without being licensed,they are undercutting the(operators) who are doing theright thing.

‘‘Because they don’t havethe operation expenses of thelicensed operators, they cancharge a lot less and thepaying client thinks they’regetting a better deal but thiscould not be further thanthe truth.’’

He also said insurancewould not cover the costs ifsomeone was hurt on a trip.

Stoners develop man boobsSMOKING marijuana cangive men ‘‘man boobs’’, anAmerican plastic surgeonhas claimed.

Dr Anthony Youn said can-nabis could lower testoster-

one levels in men, leading tothe development of excessbreast tissue. He said ‘‘manboobs’’ were caused by an im-balance in the body’s levels oftestosterone and oestrogen.

The Japanese research and training ship Koyo Maru at Fort Hill Wharf Picture: JUSTIN SANSON

Having a whale of a time in NTA JAPANESE research andtraining ship is docked atFort Hill Wharf in Darwin.

The National FisheriesUniversity ship Koyo Maru

arrived in the Top End at8.30am yesterday and will bethere until Wednesday.

Top Enders may spot Jap-anese crew members at pubsand venues around town

over the next few days as themembers of the ship arespending a week havingsome time off.

Darwin Port Corporationchief executive Terry O’Con-nor said the ship was in townfor some rest, relaxation andre-fuelling.

‘‘It’s a fisheries vessel usedfor research and training

that’s here for a visit,’’ MrO’Connor said.

‘‘There’s nothing to indi-cate that there is any sort ofwhaling involved.’’

Mr O’Connor said the shipseemed to have fished formainly tuna and shrimp.

The Koyo Maru weighs2.352 tons and is 87m longand 14m wide.

Concernat lackof speedreportTHE president of the NTPublic Health Association ofAustralia has slammed theTerritory Government fornot releasing a report onspeed limits.

NT PHAA president DrRosalie Schultz said she as-ked Chief Minister AdamGiles to release these re-ports early last month buthas not had a response.

‘‘A trial of open speed li-mits on a remote, narrowand unfenced section ofroad in a pastoral area isplanned in the NT, appar-ently based on the reports;PHAA is concerned aboutthe loss of life that may re-sult from this trial,’’ DrSchultz said.

But Minister for Trans-port Peter Styles has saidthat The Department ofTransport was continuingto collect evidence.

‘‘These are works in pro-gress and will not be re-leased to the public as theycould be taken out of con-text. This stretch of road hasseen no speed-related fatalit-ies between 2001-10.

‘‘The government hasdemonstrated its commit-ment to an evidence-basedapproach to speed with therecently announced reduct-ion in speed around road-houses and . . . on the Arn-hem Highway.’’

Dr Schultz said the PHAAwas concerned the govern-ment was ignoring the im-pact of speed in crashes.

‘‘Speed contributes to allroad crashes, injuries anddeaths,’’ she said.

‘‘Our association wouldlike to work with the gov-ernment to improve thehealth of Territorians.’’