Illegal Abalone Bust

[Chick3n]

Hi guys,



Did you see/hear about the massive illegal abalone catching bust which was done by the VIC fishery officers? I heard on today (thursday's) news. The Victorian officers raided homes and restaurants to find massive quantities of abalone meat.



Serves them right I'd say, including the restuarants who buy the meat. It's good to see the fishery officers doing something and targeting the commercials poachers not trying to clamp down on the recreational fishers. Hopefully no restaurants would want to buy the meat after this scare and the illegal abalone poaching will become scarce - I know this is wishful thinking <img src='http://www.squidfish.net/forums/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tongue.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' />



Let me know what you think,

Chick3n

[glen]

Its good news but i still have not seen a fisheries officer in the field in all my time fishing in Victoria! How many of you guys have had your licence or catch checked?



cheers, glen <img src='http://www.squidfish.net/forums/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' />

[glen]

this is nothing to do with abalone but here is an extract from the latest VIC fisheries newsletter -



In a recent case a call to 13 FISH led to three people being detained after with more than 300 squid at Mornington Pier, the daily bag limit for squid is 10 per angler. The offender’s forfeited all their illegal catch along with three motor vehicles and each was prosecuted in court.

[Chick3n]

wow! 300! sometimes i struggle to even get one...



where these people catching them by net on the pier?



Regards,

Chick3n

[glen]

hi chick3n,



i don't think they were using nets. just squid jigs i believe. they would have probably been smallish squid.



cheers, glen

[Jazman]

I go fishing about 100 times a year, every year, and I still have never seen a fisheries officer or had my licence checked. Makes me wonder why I buy a licence at all, as some of the licence money is supposed to go towards employing more fisheries officers!

[Fatboi]

i go a fair amount...in the past two years I've seen em twice...which i guess is more then jaz and glen!!

[aok47]

i have been checked a few times both on the water but also back at the ramp... seems a bit sporadic from the responces so far, <img src='http://www.squidfish.net/forums/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/unsure.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':au:' /> <img src='http://www.squidfish.net/forums/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/unsure.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':lol' />



AK

[rohan]

For the record I've never seen a fisheries bloke either, but I can see my self geting busted and fined for a 2mm to small abalone the first time I do knowing my luck!

[new found]

i have only been cheek once and we were clean