Two busts in a night for fisheries officers

[fishingvic]

Media Release
Monday 25 January 2016 | Media contact: Jane Rawson 03 8392 6254
www.vic.gov.au/fisheries

Two busts in a night for fisheries officers

Fisheries Officers stationed at Altona had a busy shift last Thursday night apprehending two men
with 174 abalone at Seaholme then two more men in possession of three illegal mesh nets in the
Werribee River.
Acting Director of Fisheries Education and Enforcement, Bob Hutton, said most of the abalone
seized at Seaholme were allegedly undersize, but were returned to the water by officers.
“The two men, aged 36 and 24 from Caroline Springs, will be charged with possessing a
commercial quantity of abalone, taking abalone during the closed season, taking molluscs from the
intertidal zone and using a sharp implement to take abalone,” Mr Hutton said.
“All of their dive gear was seized on the spot and a brief of evidence is being prepared for their
court appearance.
“Later that night at 11.50pm, the same officers apprehended two men, both aged 35 from Melton
South and Brooklyn, allegedly in the process of setting mesh nets in the Werribee River, adjacent
to the Werribee Golf Course.
“One net had been set, the second was being prepared and the third net was laid out on the river
bank.”
Mr Hutton said the first net had not been in the water long and had caught only one black bream.
Thankfully, no wildlife had been ensnared in the net.
“Officers seized the three nets, single bream and the men’s late model Mazda, and a brief of
evidence is being prepared for their court appearance.
“They are facing charges of using and possessing commercial fishing equipment and not having a
recreational fishing licence.”
Anyone who sees or suspects illegal fishing activity is urged to call Fisheries Victoria’s 24 hour
reporting line 13 FISH (13 3474).

[DougieK]

F yeah. On fire!

[ThomasG]

Are the officers names.......Batman and Robin.

You rock guys.

[4liters]

Good to see they took the pricks' car. Hopefully they turn it into an artificial reef.

[Barnsieboy]

I ll have a couple of beers in those officers honour.

Cheers Gents keep it up !

[poodoo]

Great work by fisheries!

[walbanga]

Great news - good to hear these idiots are getting caught.

[fishpod]

In the famous words of Nelson from the Simpsons, "HAHA"
I witnessed a bloke at North Shore Rocks last week keeping 20cm pinkies, why is beyond me

[skuxliss]

In the famous words of Nelson from the Simpsons, "HAHA"
I witnessed a bloke at North Shore Rocks last week keeping 20cm pinkies, why is beyond me

I've seen a person near the Westgate bridge take smaller pinkies than 20cm, asked if i could look in the bucket him and his wife wasn't too pleased and even mentioned are they aware of the legal size etc and just turned around kept fishing. Came close to kicking the bucket back into the water haha

[Kev209]

Go Fisheries, hit the morons where it hurts, in the pocket