Guilty plea by reef pickers
Wednesday, 20 October 2004

Four men have pleaded guilty in the Christies Beach Magistrates Court to illegally taking shellfish from the intertidal reef area at Hallett Cove in January 2003.

The men, Van Hien LY (47) and Thanh Nha LE (34) both of Broadview and Quing Canh HUYNH (34) and Van Nhu HUYNH (74) both of Athol Park will be sentenced at a later date.

When stopped by Fisheries Officers, the four were found to be in possession of 459 undersize abalone plus a small quantity of other shellfish. Officers seized the abalone, shellfish and a quantity of snorkelling equipment.

Manager Compliance Operations, Paul Tatarelli said this court outcome provided a timely reminder to those who would look to illegally take abalone and other shellfish from the intertidal reefs south of Adelaide.

“Intelligence gathered over recent months leads us to believe that most of these offences are carried out by a few hardcore repeat offenders, mainly during the summer months. We will be using this information to ensure uniform and undercover patrols by Fisheries Officers occur in the right areas and at the right times,” he said.

“PIRSA Fishwatch will continue to target these groups until they finally get the message that what they are doing is illegal and will not be tolerated,” Mr Tatarelli said.

Two men are expected to face similar charges later this month.

In South Australia, it is illegal to remove any plants or animals from any intertidal rocky reef out to a water depth of two metres. Penalties for this type of abalone related offence can include a maximum fine of $60,000 and/or two years jail plus an additional penalty of five times the commercial value of the catch to a maximum of $30,000.

Reports from the public play an important role in combating this type of illegal activity. Any suspected illegal fishing activity can be reported 24 hours a day to Fishwatch on 1800 065 522.