3 months’ jail for bass yabby thief
by Alan Everett on 9 May 2011
Bass Yabby DPI Victoria .
A Broadmeadows man has been jailed for three months after being found guilty, for the second time, of running an illegal Bass yabbies bait collection and sales business.
Bach Dang Nguyen ,42, was also fined $2000, ordered to pay $3000 costs, banned from all fishing activity for five years and had his $10,000 car forfeited along with all his fishing equipment.
He was intercepted by Fisheries Officers in June last year after they had watched him overnight while he gathered Bass yabbies for two days at Crib Point, on Westernport Bay.
He had 2201 yabbies at the time. The legal limit is 100 per person and those can be for recreational use only.
A subsequent search of the Nguyen’s Broadmeadows home revealed Bass yabbies were being sold from the residence.
Frankston Magistrate Rodney Crisp said Nguyen was a crafty, dishonest man whose business was persistent poaching which was raping the environment.
He dismissed the defendant’s claim the 2201 Bass yabbies were for a camping trip.
The court heard at the time of his apprehension on June 12, the defendant was on a six month suspended sentence on similar charges after offences in the Warneet area in 2008.
He was caught in January 2008, after an extensive investigation and when intercepted at the Warneet boat ramp he had 3823 Bass yabbies pumped from the Rutherford Inlet area over five hours.
Outside the court Senior Fisheries Officer at Cowes, Chris Angwin, said Bass yabbies were an essential part of the food chain in Westernport which is an internationally recognized RAMSAR wetland.
'They are an important source of food for migratory birds that frequent the area, so it is vital people only take what they need for their immediate personal use,' Mr Angwin said.
The Director of Fisheries Field Services, Michael Hodder, praised staff for their efforts in apprehending the man and indicated a number of other persons across the state also needed to take notice of the sentencing and penalty provisions available under the Fisheries Act.
Anyone who sees or suspects illegal fishing activity is urged to call the 24-hour reporting line 13-FISH (13-3474). DPI fisheries website
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