Strict penalties including jail time and fines totalling more than $10,000 have been handed down by South Australian courts in recent months to fishers guilty of breaking the law.
A Paralowie man was fined $600 and sentenced to 7 weeks jail by the Adelaide Magistrates Court for possessing 153 Greenlip Abalone, in breach of the Fisheries Management Act 2007. The sentence was suspended on the condition of a 15-month good behaviour bond.
In South Australia, there is a personal daily bag limit of 5 Abalone and a daily boat limit of 10, if taken by more than one person. There is a minimum size limit for all Abalone species in the Central and Southern Zone of 13 centimetres, and 14.5 centimetres for Greenlip Abalone in the Western Zone.
In a separate, unrelated incident, an Elizabeth East man was convicted and fined nearly $5,500 for taking 55 Blue Swimmer Crabs, all but one of which were undersized. The magistrate ordered forfeiture of the crabs and prohibited the defendant from being in possession of Blue Swimmer Crabs and crab-catching equipment for 2 years.
Size limits apply in all South Australian waters for Blue Swimmer Crabs, with the species considered undersized if the carapace is less than 11 centimetres when measured from side to side at the base of the largest spines. Any undersized crabs must be immediately returned to the water. There is also a combined Blue Swimmer and Sand Crab catch limit of 20 crabs per person.
In a different case before the Elizabeth Magistrates Court, a man and woman from Mawson Lakes were convicted and fined for being in possession of 15 Koi Carp. Koi and European Carp are invasive species which degrade waterways and compete with native species for food. These are declared noxious under the Fisheries Management Act 2007 as they are a threat to the natural environment and industries – they cannot be held or traded in South Australia without specific authorisation. The man was also convicted of hindering and assaulting a fisheries officer, with the pair fined a total of $4,710.
Fishers are reminded that any Carp (including European, Koi and Mirror) must be humanely killed if caught and disposed of responsibly away from the water. If fishers see or catch Carp outside of their known areas, they are encouraged to take photos and report it.
