Suspended jail term for abalone thieves
Wednesday 6th July, 2005

Two men have each been given a 15 month suspended jail sentence, with a non-parole period of 10 months in the Adelaide Magistrates Court recently.

Klynton Bruce Wanganeen, 23, from Port Victoria and Ian Albie Harradine, 22, from Point Pearce were charged with possessing abalone for sale.

The two men were also fined an additional penalty of $4,000 each with court costs of $2,500 split across both defendants.

As part of their bond, the Magistrate stipulated that both men were not to be found within 200metres of coastal waters for the purposes of recreational activity.

This includes fishing (below or above water), swimming, camping adjacent to the water line or undertaking any SCUBA, snorkelling, boating or any like activities.

"The defendants are not to approach the waterline. They are not to be in possession of fishing equipment or be within 10metres of a person or persons possessing fishing equipment. This is both a personal and general deterrent," Magistrate Clarke said.

The trial resulted from Fisheries officers, together with officers from SA Police stopping a vehicle on the Tippara Road after three male occupants, from Adelaide, Port Victoria and Point Pearce, had been seen on a beach about four kilometres south of Cape Elizabeth near Port Hughes.

A search of the vehicle at that time, uncovered two hundred and fifty greenlip abalone weighing a total of 33 kilograms. Sixty four of the abalone were found to be undersize.