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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.
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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.
