Huge abalone bust

A Noble Park, Victoria, man was caught late at night recently allegedly with over 400 abalone -- 80 times the daily catch limit. What's more, the area in which the man was aprehended is a marine park.

Fisheries officers used night-vision equipment to detect the diver at Ricketts Point, near Beaumaris, in Melbourne's south east. They watched the man drag two large bags into the shallows, where he was aproached and searched.

The bags contained 401 abalone, of which 205 were undersize. The 43 year old man was arrested, taken to Moorabbin Police Station, interviewed and released to be charged on summons.

His car and diving equipment were seized.

The daily bag limit for abalone in Victoria is five per person and a 60-day open season exists for Central Victorian Waters, which includes Port Phillip Bay.

The man will likely be charged with taking and possessing a commercial quantity of abalone, taking undersized abalone, taking abalone from a Marine Protected Area, taking abalone after sunset and taking abalone during the closed season.

In other words, he'll have the book thrown at him. 

Meantime, modern technology has helped bring an illegal fisher to justice in NSW, with a man forced to pay almost $2000 in fines and court costs after being nabbed illegal fishing by some observant fisheries officers.

Department of Primary Industries Fisheries Compliance Director, Glenn Tritton, said the 65 year old man from Cronulla was apprehended at Kurnell in June, 2011 and found in possession of six Eastern Rock Lobsters and one abalone.

"Fisheries officers initially located several unmarked lobster traps off Cronulla," Mr Tritton said.

"During the following days, fisheries officers began conducting covert surveillance operations surrounding these traps, identifying a man who was diving in vicinity of the unmarked traps over several days.

"Using microchipping technology, Fisheries Officers were able to tag lobsters which were located in the traps to enable positive identification and chain of possession later in the investigation.

"Fisheries officers later apprehended the man in possession of a number of lobsters and abalone, with three of the Eastern rock lobsters identified as ones which had been in the unmarked traps and microchipped earlier that day.

"Fisheries Officers seized the six lobsters, the abalone and two bait bags. Officers also retrieved four unmarked lobster traps from the waters around Cronulla which have been destroyed.

"The offender was found to be exceeding the possession limit in circumstances of aggravation. Those circumstances being that Eastern rock lobster are a priority species, the commercial quantity of which is five."

The man pleaded guilty to all charges and was sentenced in Sutherland Local Court in July, 2013.

The charges included exceeding bag limits -- possession of fish, in circumstances of aggravation, unlawful use of traps and provide false information.

The man was fined $1600 and ordered to pay court costs of $300.