Boat seized off Point Wilson for illegal abalone haul

03 January 2023

Most recreational fishers fish sustainably and abide by catch limits however two people have been apprehended in Port Phillip Bay and had their six-metre boat seized for allegedly taking more than ten times the daily bag limit of abalone.

Director of Education and Enforcement at the Victorian Fisheries Authority Ian Parks said Fisheries Officers were conducting a routine patrol on jet skis near Point Wilson on 27 December when they boarded an aluminium boat in which a man and woman appeared to be fishing for whiting with rod and line.

“The man in charge of the boat presented a cooler containing a small quantity of King George whiting and a bag of 10 legal size abalone the pair claimed to have dived for earlier in the day,” Mr Parks said.

“The daily bag limit for abalone is 5 per person per day.

“A search of the boat allegedly revealed two intricate concealments of more abalone onboard, the first containing 71 freshly shucked (removed from shell) and 18 whole abalone.

“The second concealment allegedly contained 17 whole abalone, making a total of 116 including the 10 abalone initially presented to officers.

“The pair were escorted back to the Werribee boat ramp where they had launched and the dive gear, catch and boat, estimated to be worth around $50,000, were seized by Fisheries Officers on the spot. All the whole abalone were returned to the water alive.”

Mr Parks said the pair will be charged with a number of offences, including exceeding the daily bag limit for abalone, possession of a commercial quantity of abalone, concealing fish taken in contravention of the Fisheries Act, possessing shucked abalone on Victorian waters, and hindering and obstructing Fisheries Officers.

If you see or suspect illegal fishing, call our 24/7 reporting service, 13FISH (133474), to speak directly to a Fisheries Officer. You can remain anonymous. Make the call and make the difference.