Abalone theft costs mother and son $4,200

by Lyall Grey on 31 Aug 2010 The theft of a commercial quantity of abalone from the outer reeds at the Peter Scullin Reserve adjacent to Mordialloc Pier in February cost a Noble Park mother and son a total of $3,500 in fines and $762 in costs.

The 49 year old woman and her 19 year old son appeared before Magistrate Franz Holzer in the Moorabbin Justice Centre last Friday (August 27).

The Magistrate heard the pair collected a catch bag left in the water by an unidentified diver on a closed day for abalone harvesting. The bag contained 149 black-lip abalone that had been shucked (removed from their shells).

DPI fisheries officers intercepted the offenders as they attempted to leave the scene with their illegal consignment of abalone.

Department of Primary Industries Prosecutor Sofia Jankovic told the Magistrate abalone was a priority species and the illegal taking of the fish resource threatened the sustainability of Victoria’s most valuable fishery.

She said abalone is a quota fishery where access licence holders pay large sums of money for their limited quotas.

Ms Jankovic told the Magistrate the woman had prior convictions for using commercial fishing equipment and taking more than the catch limit for bream.

She was convicted and fined $2,500, ordered to pay costs of $381 and banned from abalone fishing related activity for two years. Her son was fined $1,000 without conviction, ordered to pay costs of $381 and also banned from abalone fishing related activity for two years.

Magistrate Holzer told the pair he imposed a more lenient sentence because they pleaded guilty. Their seized vehicle was also returned as a result of their plea.

He also told them that they must appreciate the fishery is a valuable resource for all Victorian’s and should be protected.

Senior Fisheries Officer Dane Robinson said the unlawful taking of undersize abalone has the potential to affect the Mordialloc reef system for years to come.

'The recreational abalone fishery in this area is extremely important to the health of the already fragile reef system,' he said.'

People who suspect illegal fishing activity should call the DPI fisheries 24-hour offence reporting line 13 FISH (133 474).

www.dpi.vic.gov.au/