Latest news with #abalone
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Aussie fishermen fined more than $9,000 after their backpacks spotted from helicopter
Two men have been convicted and fined a combined $9,000 after authorities spotted them carrying large backpackers while walking along a coastal boardwalk in the early hours of the morning. The pair were spotted by police in a helicopter in South Australia with the suspicious baggage piquing the interest of authorities. The backpacks were later seized and their contents handed over to fisheries officers in the state. The men were ultimately found to be in possession of more than 500 undersized abalone. In total, officers counted 595 abalone, with 553 found to be under the legal minimum size of 13cm. A photo shared by authorities on Thursday laid bare the extent of their unlawful catch – far exceeding the recreational bag limit of five abalone per person. Fishers are now being reminded of the serious consequences of breaching fishing rules and regulations. Toyota seized after fisherman caught with 92 times daily catch limit Shocking $700 find in man's wetsuit in luxury Aussie suburb 7.3-metre fishing vessel at centre of 800kg fishing operation The men, from Adelaide's northern suburbs, were convicted in the Christies Beach Magistrates Court this month over the 2023 incident. Both admitted to using diving equipment such as wetsuits, catch bags and shucking tools to collect the abalone from the intertidal zone and pleaded guilty to possessing a commercial quantity of a priority species. Matt Read, the the fisheries director of operations at the state's Department of Primary Industries, warned the public they will be caught for flouting catch rules. "This sort of offending will not go unnoticed. Our Fisheries Officers patrol regularly to enforce compliance and raise awareness," he said. "Rules around abalone exist for a reason - to protect this high-value species and ensure its sustainability into the future." The men are now banned from taking or possessing abalone, or using any related gear, for five years. The financial penalties were imposed based on five times the commercial value of the catch, totalling $4604.60 for one offender and $4716.60 for the other. They were also fined $100 each and ordered to pay prosecution costs and a victims of crime levy. "In South Australia, abalone is classified as a priority species with strict bag, size and possession limits under the Fisheries Management Act 2007. The minimum legal size is 13cm in the Central Zone," Read said. Crackdown on illegal fishing takes across Australia Abalone is one of Australia's most highly valued fisheries product and can sell for more than $100 per kilogram, with black market traders usually taking less. Authorities around the country continue to crack down on illegal abalone takes, as well as other unlawful seafood hauls. Last month, a Sydney man was fined $15,000 after 600 shucked blacktip abalone were found packaged for sale inside an inner city independent grocer. Another seafood find – this time in a restaurant freezer in Victoria last year– landed a couple in court where they were slapped with a $7,000 fine and ordered to pay $5,000 in costs. The couple were illegally selling large amounts of seafood to the restaurant, including squid.
The Herald
11-07-2025
- The Herald
Eastern Cape police crack down on poachers
Hundreds of thousands of rand worth of perlemoen was seized in two separate police operations on Thursday. Five men will appear in the Humansdorp magistrate's court on Friday after they were caught in possession of perlemoen worth R250,000. While on the other side of the province, three suspects will appear in Komani magistrate's court on Monday on charges of possession and/or dealing in drugs and perlemoen. Police spokesperson Capt Marius McCarthy said the five men, aged between 22 and 37 years old, were arrested in Jeffreys Bay on Thursday. 'Dedicated members attached to a multidisciplinary abalone task team, operating in the Kouga municipal area, successfully executed an intelligence driven, waylay operation in targeted areas along the Jeffrey's Bay coastline. 'According to reports a group of suspected abalone poachers were spotted carrying bags, suspected to be filled with abalone.' He said the police members tactically approached the group and arrested five suspects in terms of the Marine Living Resources Act. Meanwhile an intelligence driven multidisciplinary tactical operation by Komani dog unit (K9), Komani crime intelligence and Red Guard Security guards, led to the arrest of three people, aged between 26 and 45, on Thursday evening. Police spokesperson Capt Yolisa Mgolodela said police received information at about 6pm about a white Toyota Starlet sedan with a GP registration number that was transporting abalone and crystal meth (tik) from East London to Gauteng via Komani. 'The joint team spotted the vehicle that matched the description at 7.40pm. 'The car with three occupants was stopped on N6 near Komani Hospital. 'The trio tried to evade arrest by running to different directions without success as police swiftly caught up with them.' Mgolodela said one bag of perlemoen with 212 units weighing 28kg with a street value of more than R50,000, 500g crystal meth (tik) with a street value of more than R150,000 and four cellphones were seized during the arrest. 'The Toyota Starlet, worth more than R520,000, was also seized.' District commissioner Maj Gen Rudolph Adolph lauded the police members for their swift action and subsequent arrests. The Herald
ABC News
10-07-2025
- ABC News
Retired officer concerned poaching will get worse after fisheries job cuts
A recently retired fisheries officer fears poaching will "get worse" amid enforcement officer job cuts across Victoria. Last month, two licensed commercial fishers from New South Wales allegedly took close to 800 kilograms of abalone from a Victorian marine park before selling the shellfish. The men were seen by Victorian and NSW Fisheries officers allegedly using their 7.3-metre commercial fishing vessel to take a large quantity of abalone in the Cape Howe Marine National Park near the Victoria–NSW border. Victorian Fisheries Authority (VFA) chief executive, Travis Dowling, said the men held an abalone quota in NSW but were not licensed to fish commercially for abalone in Victoria. "We allege that the men gave false information about where the abalone were caught and they removed the mandatory tracking devices from their boats prior to engaging in this activity," he said. "800 kilos, for commercial divers, is a day out. They can take that quite easily. "It is a large number of abalone, but these are professional divers with assisted air devices; it's not like a couple of people walking into tidal zones and illegally taking abalone." All forms of recreational and commercial fishing are prohibited in marine national parks and sanctuaries. On the last weekend of June in north-east Victoria, three men were also found by the VFA allegedly in possession of 20 Murray crays on the Goulburn River, when the bag limit is two. Authorities allege some of the crays were undersized, others oversized, several were carrying eggs, and prohibited nets were being used. The men will be fined up to $3,000 for the offence. The alleged poaching comes as the VFA reduced its overall staffing by 50 per cent, and slashed the number of compliance officers across the state from 73 to 35. Recently retired senior fisheries officer for north-east Victoria, Greg Sharp, said the known lack of compliance officers had emboldened illegal behaviour. "It's no surprise. With the VFA cutting their staff numbers, it's inevitable that poaching will increase, and this is just a sign of it," he said. "This is just the tip of the iceberg. Crayfish have always had a really poor compliance rate and, with fewer staff, it's going to be worse. "From Wodonga to Mildura, there will only be two staff now, over a distance of about 700 kilometres, and Bendigo, our third-biggest population centre, will only have one officer. The numbers are devastating. But the VFA's Travis Dowling disagreed. "We have got fantastic coverage and unfortunately there will always be a few people who want to continue to pervert our laws and attack the sustainability of our fisheries," he said. "There's not a lot of deterrent you can put in place. "Whether it's boots on the ground or fines, it comes down to really good work by our officers in picking up these individuals and making sure the offending behaviour stops." Mr Dowling said more than 90 per cent of people obeyed marine laws. "Every year in cray season, during June, July and August, we'll have a small element that will go up to the rivers, and they think that bag and size limits don't apply to them," he said. "We catch these guys, and our officers are really good at identifying what people might be concealing. Mr Dowling said 800kg of abalone would be worth at least $32,000. "This depends on whether they're exported or domestic sales. It can range from $30–40 a kilo," he said. "These are really serious offences. Trafficking a commercial quantity of abalone in Victoria can result in thousands and thousands of dollars in fines. "It's also an indictable offence, punishable with up to 10 years in jail, so these are really serious offences we're alleging."
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Yahoo
Detail in national park picture at centre of 800kg fishing investigation
This photograph shows the stunning Cape Howe Marine National Park near the Victoria and NSW border. Look hard and you'll see a tiny boat in the distance that fisheries authorities will allege was involved in an operation to haul close to 800kg of protected abalone from the park. In June, two men were observed by officers from both sides of the border, allegedly using their 7.3-metre-long vessel to take a large quantity of the shellfish, before ultimately selling it. After warrants were executed at properties at Batemans Bay and at Wollongong, retention notices were placed on the boat, their trailer, and an old Ford ute, restricting their use. While the men both had licences to take abalone in NSW, they didn't have clearance to do so in Victoria. And all fishing is prohibited in that state's marine parks. Ian Parks from Fisheries Victoria said both individuals could face charges in relation to operating a commercial fishing vessel in a national park and trafficking a commercial quantity of a priority species. 'These are serious offences and could lead to many thousands of dollars in fines and even significant prison sentences,' he said. Parks added that the boundaries of the protected area are clearly marked. 'Protected areas like Cape Howe play an important role in maintaining healthy fisheries, which is why we work hard to protect them,' he said. ⚡️ Scientists tackle mystery of wind farm 'risk' as major Australian projects begin ⛏️ Reason tradies faced 'absolute challenge' fixing deceptively simple old hut 📸 Rare colour footage of extinct Australian animal seen again after 90 years Abalone can fetch $70 per kilogram on the black market, but the price legitimate divers receive from buyers is much higher at $120, according to 2023 estimates. The NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPRID), which was part of the joint operation, will allege the men left their mandatory catch data monitoring device in their ute in NSW while they fished, and that the pair possessed fish taken illegally from another state. 'Falsely declaring abalone as lawful NSW catch that have been illegally taken from outside NSW significantly undermines the NSW commercial abalone share managed fishery and quota regime,' its acting deputy secretary, Dr Bryan McDonald said. Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? 🐊🦘😳 Get our new newsletter showcasing the week's best stories.
CNA
06-07-2025
- Entertainment
- CNA
Talking Point 2025/2026 - Abalone: Why Is It So Expensive?
45:00 Min Why is abalone so expensive? Host Steven Chia heads into shark-infested waters and meets divers, farmers, and experts to uncover the risks, threats, and high prices behind this prized sea snail. Talking Point 2025/2026 About the show: With a fresh approach to tackling the issues of the day, Talking Point investigates a current issue or event, offering different perspectives to local stories and reveals how it all affects you.
