Bush 'n Beach Fishing Magazine Location reports & tips for fishing, boating, camping, kayaking, 4WDing in Queensland and Northern NSW
On 11 March 2021, a South Coast man was sentenced to a term of nine months’ imprisonment to be served by way of intensive correction in the community and ordered to pay a total of $6,750 in fines, costs and additional monetary penalties after being found guilty of trafficking abalone and shucking abalone unlawfully.
The man – a repeat abalone offender, was caught by Fisheries Officers in possession of 262 abalone with another co-offender, and the abalone were shucked, with the shells concealed under rocks near the water.
The sentence was a result of a NSW DPI Fisheries apprehension at Aragunnu within the Mimosa Rocks National Park on the Far South Coast in November 2017. NSW DPI Fisheries Officers have seized over 2,000 illegal abalone this financial year with several offenders set to face the courts.
The recreational possession limit for abalone in NSW is two per person. The minimum prescribed recreational size limit is 11.7 cm. Penalties of up to $88,000 in fines and 10 years imprisonment are in place.
Anyone who witnesses illegal abalone activity on the coast or who suspects illegal sales of abalone can report the information by calling 1800 043 536 or completing an online report at https://fal.cn/3fmQa
