Record jail term for abalone thief
Thursday 8 February, 2007

A man has been sentenced to a record jail term for a South Australian abalone related fishing offence in the Ceduna Magistrates Court today.

Nicholas Karagiannis (56) of Coorabie, west of Ceduna, had previously pleaded guilty to a number of charges including the possession of a commercial quantity of abalone and taking abalone for the purposes of sale whilst not the holder of a licence in respect of that fishery.

Mr Karagiannis was given an 18 months jail sentence with a non-parole period of 12 months and fined an additional penalty of $30,000, the maximum allowable under current Fisheries legislation.

This is the third time Mr Karagiannis has been sentenced to a term of imprisonment for abalone related offences. In 1995 he was convicted and sentenced to 12 months imprisonment with a non parole period of 3 months. He was again convicted in 1998 and sentenced to 14 months imprisonment with a non parole period of 10 months.

PIRSA Fisheries, Manager Compliance Operations, Paul Tatarelli said a jail sentence for this type of recidivist offender was appropriate.

"Penalties imposed by the Courts for fish theft support the seriousness of this type of crime. A jail sentence acknowledges the impact this type of high level illegal fishing activity can have on the long-term sustainability of fish stocks," Mr Tatarelli said.

In handing down the sentence, Mr Forrest SM said the Mr Karagiannis was lured by the opportunity "to make a quick buck" and that previous penalties had no effect on the prisoner.

A second man, Robert Hedley Miller (19) from Croydon had previously pleaded guilty to possessing a commercial quantity of abalone taken for the purposes of sale in relation to this incident was placed on a two-year good behaviour bond.

The charges against the two men resulted from a joint Fisheries and Ceduna SAPOL operation on the State’s Far West coast back in June 2005.

At the time, Fisheries Officers seized nearly 2,000 abalone, valued at more than $35,000, together with a vehicle, a vessel, a quantity of diving gear and camping equipment. As part of the sentencing, the Magistrate confirmed forfeiture of all equipment and fish seized.

The trial in relation to a third person continues.