VICTORIAN FISHERIES AUTHORITY MEDIA RELEASE: BOATS SEIZED FOR ILLEGAL CALAMARI HAULS

News and media releases from the Department of Primary Industries (DPI)
Lightningx
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Re: VICTORIAN FISHERIES AUTHORITY MEDIA RELEASE: BOATS SEIZED FOR ILLEGAL CALAMARI HAULS

Post by Lightningx » Fri Jan 04, 2019 8:55 am

A-a-ron wrote:Four men from St Albans and West Footscray have been arrested after being busted with 173 abalone, more than 11 times the daily bag limit!

Abalone are a valuable commercial fishery in Victoria and prized on the dinner table by recreational divers, most of whom do the right thing and abide by catch limits.

On Christmas Eve, Fisheries Officers observed a boat 500 metres from Seaholm with 4 men aboard, 3 of whom were diving.

The divers allegedly returned to the boat with large bags, then left for Williamstown, where 3 divers again entered the water.

After several hours of diving, the vessel left Williamstown and motored up the Yarra River at speed to Spotswood Jetty, where the non-diver allegedly dropped 2 large catch-bags into the river, got off the boat and remained with the haul.

The boat then departed for Newport boat ramp, where it was inspected, and its 3 occupants arrested.

Fisheries Officers also arrested the fourth man on the jetty and recovered the two catch-bags with the 173 abalone, 122 of which were undersize.

The 4 alleged offenders will be charged with multiple offences including possessing a commercial quantity of abalone and hindering authorised officers. They face heavy penalties of up to $10,000 and/or 5 years imprisonment. The accused men’s boat, dive equipment and all abalone were seized.

If you see or suspect illegal fishing, call our 24-hour reporting line 13FISH (133474) anytime. Even if we can’t respond immediately to your call, the information provided helps us plan future patrols. Make the call and make a difference!
That’s great to hear they had everything seized! 11 times the daily limit and 122 undersize...they deserve extremely harsh penalties.

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Re: VICTORIAN FISHERIES AUTHORITY MEDIA RELEASE: BOATS SEIZED FOR ILLEGAL CALAMARI HAULS

Post by bluewater81 » Fri Jan 04, 2019 9:32 am

fishnut wrote:Hope there's no underwater cameras lol
Funny you say that, but there actually is a few!

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Re: VICTORIAN FISHERIES AUTHORITY MEDIA RELEASE: BOATS SEIZED FOR ILLEGAL CALAMARI HAULS

Post by smile0784 » Fri Jan 04, 2019 9:35 am

Never seen reports of that. Do they move them around or are they fixed?

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Re: VICTORIAN FISHERIES AUTHORITY MEDIA RELEASE: BOATS SEIZED FOR ILLEGAL CALAMARI HAULS

Post by bluewater81 » Fri Jan 04, 2019 12:03 pm

smile0784 wrote:Never seen reports of that. Do they move them around or are they fixed?
I don't think the underwater cams are fisheries, more so for diving spots. But there are many cameras and surveillance around the bay and coast. Reason I know this is a family friend went out with some guys diving for crays and they got done for too many crays (which our friend didn't know). She said she saw the footage and it was unbelievably zoomed in and clear!

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Re: VICTORIAN FISHERIES AUTHORITY MEDIA RELEASE: BOATS SEIZED FOR ILLEGAL CALAMARI HAULS

Post by April Fool » Sun Jan 06, 2019 1:12 pm

bluewater81 wrote:
smile0784 wrote:Never seen reports of that. Do they move them around or are they fixed?
I don't think the underwater cams are fisheries, more so for diving spots. But there are many cameras and surveillance around the bay and coast. Reason I know this is a family friend went out with some guys diving for crays and they got done for too many crays (which our friend didn't know). She said she saw the footage and it was unbelievably zoomed in and clear!
Are you making an assumption bluewater that there are many cameras around due to your mate getting caught out? Most likely scenario would have been the guys who got done for taking too many crays were serial offenders. They would have been reported and then fisheries would have set up surveillance cameras in the location. They have to go through a lot of 'red tape' to set up the cameras. They can not place them at will anywhere and everywhere for no reason.
cheers
Jim

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Re: VICTORIAN FISHERIES AUTHORITY MEDIA RELEASE: BOATS SEIZED FOR ILLEGAL CALAMARI HAULS

Post by bluewater81 » Sun Jan 06, 2019 4:18 pm

April Fool wrote:
bluewater81 wrote:
smile0784 wrote:Never seen reports of that. Do they move them around or are they fixed?
I don't think the underwater cams are fisheries, more so for diving spots. But there are many cameras and surveillance around the bay and coast. Reason I know this is a family friend went out with some guys diving for crays and they got done for too many crays (which our friend didn't know). She said she saw the footage and it was unbelievably zoomed in and clear!
Are you making an assumption bluewater that there are many cameras around due to your mate getting caught out? Most likely scenario would have been the guys who got done for taking too many crays were serial offenders. They would have been reported and then fisheries would have set up surveillance cameras in the location. They have to go through a lot of 'red tape' to set up the cameras. They can not place them at will anywhere and everywhere for no reason.
cheers
Jim
No I'm not making any assumption, I have family who work at fisheries. The people who got caught were NOT serial offenders either, it was their first time diving and there was confusion around bag and possession limits. They don't have to go through much red tape at all I'm told and can place them anywhere and anywhere where it is either a fishing hotspot or they have been informed.

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Re: VICTORIAN FISHERIES AUTHORITY MEDIA RELEASE: BOATS SEIZED FOR ILLEGAL CALAMARI HAULS

Post by April Fool » Sun Jan 06, 2019 4:41 pm

Bluewater, I work for Ag Vic, at least for the next couple weeks anyway. Fisheries are also based where I work and sit about a hundred meters from where I sit. I am talking about the guy here (in northern Vic) who actually sets up the cameras. He told me a different story from what your contacts say. He can not set up any cameras unless he has reports of illegal activity etc. Of course I could be mistaken, or things could have changed.

This is why I thought your mates may have been under surveillance....maybe other illegal activity has taken place there and your mates were in the wrong place at the wrong time. I myself made an assumption that I shouldn't have!
cheers
Jim

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