Tony Andrews, Industry & Investment NSW Special Operations Manager, informed that an operation was underwent to target blackmarket abalone receivers has netted two more offenders who were fined more than $7000 for their role in the illegal trade. He also said that the operation conducted in July 2007, targeted illegal abalone receivers in Sydney who purchased abalone allegedly taken by abalone syndicates on the NSW coast.
The convicted men, aged 64 and 37 from Heathcote were caught by Industry & Investment (I&I) NSW Fisheries Officers from the Statewide Operations and Investigations Group, who conducted inspections on commercial premises as well on residential premises under the authority of search warrants.
They were charged with possessing more than the bag limit of abalone and failing to produce a prescribed record for fish. In August, a 39 year old woman was fined $9,500 for her role in the blackmarket abalone industry. The legal possession limit for abalone in NSW is two per person and they can only be taken from waters open to abalone collection.
People who take prohibited size abalone and exceed the bag limit, have the potential to destroy the commercial and recreational abalone fisheries in NSW. It is said that these fines should serve as a warning to the blackmarket seafood trade, that illegal abalone receivers will continue to be targeted by fisheries officers from I&I NSWs Statewide Operations and Investigations Group.
