By Goya Dmytryshchak
Two Tarneit men have been fined $15,000 and had their car forfeited after pleading guilty to possessing nearly 300 abalone at Altona in January.
The pair, who were caught after a tip-off from the public, pleaded guilty in court to taking a commercial quantity of abalone, taking abalone during the closed season and taking undersize abalone.
Victorian Fisheries Authority acting director Brooke Hall said the men were caught with 298 abalone, 291 of which were undersize.
“The pair’s illegal haul is nearly 30 times the daily recreational bag limit of five abalone per person,” she said.
The pair’s $5000 Ford XR6 and diving equipment were seized on the spot.
The two were each fined $7500 and convicted, and the magistrate ordered them to forfeit their diving equipment.
Report illegal fishing at 13 3474.
