Port Lincoln men to face abalone charges
Tuesday 22 January, 2008

PIRSA Fisheries Officers will charge three men from the Port Lincoln region with various abalone related fisheries offences following weekend patrols.

The three males, aged 24, 25 and 26, were checked by Fisheries Officers on Sunday 20 January at Point Drummond near Coffin Bay on Eyre Peninsula.

Officers seized 169 abalone (57 were undersize) with an estimated meat weight of 27 kilograms.

Search warrants were issued for three houses, two in Port Lincoln and a third at North Shields. The searches uncovered an additional 229 recently shucked abalone shells. The majority of these were also undersize.

All the abalone and a quantity of dive equipment was confiscated by Officers.

PIRSA Fisheries Manager Compliance Services, Mr Paul Tatarelli said the new Fisheries Management Act 2007 provides the courts with the power to invoke substantially higher fines than previously available for this type of offence.

"Under the new Act, penalties for these types of abalone related offences could include a maximum $100,000 fine or four years imprisonment,” he said.

"The Court can also impose an additional penalty of five (5) times the wholesale value of the seized abalone.

"These potential higher penalties reflect the seriousness of this type of illegal activity."

Media Contact: Gary Darter, Acting Manager Compliance Operations, PIRSA Fisheries, Ph: 0408 805 477.