Man fined after Abalone black market activity uncovered in WA

by WA Dept Fisheries on 2 Jul 2009 Another man has received a big fine for his involvement in illegal abalone sales, after black market activity was uncovered by covert Department of Fisheries Western Australia surveillance last year.

Yesterday, 51-year-old Wing Ye NG of Winthrop pleaded guilty to being in possession of excess greenlip abalone, after purchasing more than 10 kilograms of greenlip abalone that were not taken by the holder of the required commercial fishing licence.

Last August, Fisheries and Marine Officers and members of the WA Police worked together on Operation Acacia, to conduct a series of searches and interviews at business premises and homes in Perth and regional towns.

That followed seven months of surveillance operations and compliance activity, leading up to the co-ordinated swoop on the 21st and 25th of August 2008.

The Perth Magistrates Court heard yesterday that, during May 2008, Fisheries and Marine Officers were undertaking surveillance duties on another person who had visited the Yummy BBQ Restaurant in Myaree, operated by Wing Ye Ng, and sold him 10 kilograms of illegally obtained greenlip abalone.

Yesterday, Chief Magistrate Stephen Heath fined Ng $2,500, plus court costs of $581.70 and a mandatory penalty of $7794 for the amount of abalone involved in the offence (total $10,875.70).

The mandatory penalty applies under Section 222 of the Fish Resources Management Act and is based on 10 times the prescribed value of the fish involved, by weight or per fish.

Previous court outcomes, related to Operation Acacia saw the Shun Fung Chinese Restaurant in Perth being ordered in court (on 22 April) to pay a fine, penalty and court costs totalling $10,871 for an offences related to buying black market abalone

In November 2008, 72-year-old Peter TSANG of Lynwood was fined $500, plus a mandatory penalty of $9,000 and court costs of $571.70 for excess possession of greenlip abalone.

A number of other matters, arising from Operation Acacia, are still to come before court.

Department of Fisheries Strategic Compliance Manager Tina Thorne said WA’s commercial abalone fishery benefited from a high demand and price for abalone on international markets, however, that high demand required careful management of the fishery and enforcement of the laws to ensure the breeding stock was not endangered.

http://www.fish.wa.gov.au