A 59-YEAR-OLD man has escaped jail with a suspended sentence and a $5000 fine over multiple abalone poaching offences.
The final person to be charged over abalone offences from September 2012 near Cape Patton, the man appeared in the Geelong Magistrates’ Court recently.
He was charged with taking a commercial quantity of abalone, as well as other charges relating to taking abalone during the closed season
and taking abalone under the minimum size.
He pleaded guilty to all charges and was given a three and a half month jail term, suspended for two years, and a $5000 fine.
Fisheries officer Mark Gibson said the charges were the final chapter in a long-running case
against a group of men previously charged and convicted over the same incident.
“This man fled the scene of the offence in 2012 and has remained at large until he was arrested
under warrant in August 2013,” Mr Gibson said.
“He was part of a group of men that took approximately 336 abalone from the coastal area of
Sugarloaf near Cape Patton in late 2012.
“The other men intercepted by fisheries officers have all been convicted and fined for their roles in
the incident but this man eluded us on the day.
“This final conviction means all involved in the taking of this large amount of abalone have now all
been penalised for their actions.
“This is a great result for Victoria’s abalone stocks and reminds people that the taking of abalone is
a serious matter and serious penalties apply for those who choose to ignore the laws.”
