Two people facing charges after being caught with alleged illegal abalone haul near Geelong

Two anglers have been nabbed near Geelong allegedly carrying more than ten times the legal limit for abalone and trying to conceal it onboard.

Fisheries Victoria seized this boat at St Leonards in November after three anglers were spotted breaching bag limits for King George whiting. Further inquiries led to a raid on a Lygon St, Carlton, restaurant, whose owner will face charges at a later date. Picture: Supplied/Fisheries Victoria

Two anglers have been nabbed near Geelong allegedly carrying more than 10 times the legal limit of abalone and trying to conceal it onboard.

A 59-year-old man and a 49-year-old woman are facing a string of charges after their 6m boat was seized near Point Wilson on Port Phillip Bay by Fisheries officers doing a routine patrol on jet skis.

A search of their aluminium boat on December 27 found a total of 116 abalone, far exceeding the daily bag limit of five per person.

A boat seized by fisheries officers at Point Wilson with an illegal catch of abalone. Photo: Supplied.

Victorian Fisheries Authority director of education and enforcement, Ian Parks, said the man in charge of the tinnie initially handed over a cooler containing a small quantity of King George whiting and a bag of 10 legal-size abalone they claimed to have dived for earlier in the day.

“A search of the boat allegedly revealed two intricate concealments of more abalone on-board, the first containing 71 freshly shucked and 18 whole abalone,” he said.

A second concealment allegedly contained 17 whole abalone.

The pair, from St Albans in Melbourne, were escorted to the Werribee boat ramp where their dive gear, catch and boat – estimated to be worth around $50,000 – were seized by fisheries officers on the spot.

“All the whole abalone were returned to the water alive,” Mr Parkes said.

Mr Parks said the pair were expected to be charged with a number of offences, including exceeding the daily bag limit for abalone, possession of a commercial quantity of abalone, concealing fish taken in contravention of the Fisheries Act, possessing shucked abalone on Victorian waters, and hindering and obstructing Fisheries Officers.

Fisheries Victoria seized a boat in November after three anglers were spotted breaching bag limits for King George whiting. Further inquiries led to a raid on a Lygon St, Carlton, restaurant, whose owner will face charges at a later date. Picture: Supplied/Fisheries Victoria

They face a maximum penalty of $38,000 if found guilty and up to five years in prison.

It follows a boat seizure at St Leonards in November when three men were arrested and their fibreglass boat seized for allegedly taking more than the daily bag limit of King George whiting.

The owner of a Lygon St restaurant was expected to be charged following the incident over allegations he sold the fish caught by the shonky recreational anglers.

His Carlton restaurant was raided where officers found freezers stuffed with 25kg of illegitimate King George whiting and 58kg of calamari.

Originally published as Two people facing charges after being caught with alleged illegal abalone haul near Geelong