Trio fined for undersized crab haul as Fisheries conduct blitz on motorists
Have a look at www.watoday.com.au/wa-news/trio-fined-for-undersized-crab-haul-as-fisheries-conduct-blitz-on-motorists-20161221-gtfl97.html
Expensive crabs
Three WA fisherman have copped hefty fines after being caught with 61 undersized crabs just days after Fisheries conducted a blitz on motorists near Mandurah, seizing hundreds of undersized crustaceans.
Yong Zhong Xiao, Shuangtao Lio and Yu Liu were fined in Mandurah Magistrates Court on Tuesday after pleading guilty to catching 61 undersized crabs on November 26.
Fisheries officers found the crabs in the boot of the trio's car after they had been using scoop nets in Coolup.
All three said they had planned to eat the crabs and had not measured their catch.
The size of the crabs ranged from 89-124mm.
The minimum legal size for blue manna crabs is 127mmm while the maximum bag limit per person is 10.
Xiao, Liu and Liu were all fined $500 plus court costs.
They were all also ordered to pay a mandatory additional penalty of $3050.
The fines come after Fisheries officers cordoned off a one kilometre stretch of Forrest Highway on Sunday to check vehicles near Mandurah for undersized catches.
Of the 700 vehicles stopped during the five-hour operation, 23 had offences detected involving 41 people.
One vehicle had 44 undersized crabs inside, with each of the four occupants receiving a $1000 fine.
Another vehicle had 42 undersized crabs, while seven cars were stopped with between 11 to 19 undersized crabs each, and nine vehicles were stopped with between one to seven undersized crabs each.
Fisheries south metropolitan compliance manager John Breeden said the operation showed most fishers do the right thing.
"The disappointing aspect was that some fishers are not measuring their crabs correctly or simply ignoring the size limit rule and taking undersized crabs," he said.
Swompa
Posts: 3907
Date Joined: 14/10/12
Personally, I don't think the
Personally, I don't think the fine is enough. Perhaps $500 per illegal crab would really discourage..
Jackfrost80
Posts: 8156
Date Joined: 07/05/12
Yep
Yep
Officially off the Pies bandwagon
bulkie
Posts: 127
Date Joined: 08/01/13
Yeah the fine is not quite
Yeah the fine is not quite enough.
AHarman
Posts: 100
Date Joined: 22/03/12
piss poor fine really
considering how many were caught doing the shite thing !
Jackfrost80
Posts: 8156
Date Joined: 07/05/12
Their rich parents back home
Their rich parents back home will just cough up the fine anyway. I wonder how quickly word would get around if the govt started cancelling student visas and sending offenders back home?
*not a racist comment*
Officially off the Pies bandwagon
Swompa
Posts: 3907
Date Joined: 14/10/12
I do recall an instance last
I do recall an instance last year where the judge said that the person was unemployed and likely wouldn't pay the fine so came up with another punishment. I think that is piss poor also.
Does the fine pay the wage of the people down there discouraging the actions? Doubt it.
meglodon
Posts: 5981
Date Joined: 17/06/10
Total penalty
The way I read the article is that each was fined $500 plus $50050 as a penalty for their catch as each cab has a value.
So that makes the total penalty of the group $500 ea plus the $50050 + $55050 the story doesn't say who is liable for the $5050.
Correct me if I'm wrong please.
Uluabuster
Posts: 725
Date Joined: 12/12/10
I am with you Jackfrost. I
I am with you Jackfrost. I am an Asian of Chinese descent and these pricks are giving us non-mainland Chinese a bad name.
They simply don't give a shit about anything because they can pay their way out of anything.
The law is piss poor in discouraging people from doing the wrong thing - from hideous crime to taking undersized crabs. Most get away with a slap on the wrist.
Bodie
Posts: 3758
Date Joined: 05/11/07
This is utterly
This is utterly disgusting... every year the same bloody thing. Blatantly ignoring the laws....
maybe doing the same thing as they do with the boats, seize the cars
next week they will be back doing the same thing...... then maybe next month onto the marron.
or yes, deport them obviously a simple fine is not a suitable deterrent
lastcast
Posts: 218
Date Joined: 04/04/13
They all copped $5550 each
That how I read it.
Take their car as well and that'd be just OK I reckon.