Hefty Fines Handed Out To Illegal Abalone Fishers 1

Media Release
02 February 2010 06/2010

Hefty fines handed out to illegal abalone fishers

A crackdown by South West Fisheries and Marine Officers has resulted in three people being
fined in court today, together with the issuing of 12 infringements and two warning notices for
breaching the abalone fishing rules.

A further two people are facing prosecution for alleged offences detected last week.

In Busselton Court this morning, two men and a woman were ordered to each pay hefty fines and
penalties after being convicted of illegal fishing activity on New Year's Day.

The court heard that, on 1 January this year (2010), Fisheries and Marine Officers observed the
three people near the water's edge off the coast of Dunsborough. A check of the catch of one
man showed 20 Roe's abalone he claimed to have caught that day.

A subsequent search of one of the group's vehicles revealed an esky, which was found to contain
213 fresh whole abalone. The woman and one of the men admitted they had each caught about
half of the 213 abalone found in the vehicle. A search of the other man's vehicle revealed a
further 106 abalone.

The court heard that the accused were aware of the daily bag limit (of 20 per fisher per day) and
claimed they caught the abalone for their own personal consumption.

50-year-old Mrs Hae Sook Hong Park of Carlisle and Mr Won Woo Cho, 45 and also from
Carlisle, were each fined $1000, with an additional mandatory penalty of $2,580 each that was
based on the number of abalone exceeding their possession limits. They were also ordered to
each pay $59.60 court costs and forfeit the excess abalone.

41-year-old Jae Jin Park, of Victoria Park, was fined $1000, with an additional penalty of $2880
based on the number of the abalone taken in excess of the bag limit. He was also ordered to pay
court costs of $119.20 and forfeit the excess abalone.

Supervising Fisheries and Marine Officer Kevin Johnson said the penalties were intended to
protect the sustainability of the abalone fishery.

In another matter, Fisheries & Marine Officers apprehended two people on the Dunsborough
Coast on Australia Day (26 January), with 129 Roes abalone of which 42 were undersize.

The men are likely to face Busselton Court for allegedly taking 89 abalone more than the daily
bag limit allows. The fishers also face possible charges for possessing undersize abalone.

Anyone with information about illegal fishing should call FISHWATCH on 1800 815 507.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Ashley Malone Ph: 9203 0357
Media Liaison Officer Mobile: 0418 901 767


Report all suspected illegal fishing activity to FISHWATCH 1800 815 507