Mildura Magistrates’ Court: Raynor Empang pleads guilty to selling golden perch for profit

A Mildura man caught selling golden perch he fished out of the Murray River to a grocery store on the down low has been busted in a multi-state sting.

A Mildura man has been caught selling fresh golden perch fish to a grocery store after a multi-state investigation uncovered the illegal transactions.

Raynor Empang, 44, pleaded guilty in the Mildura Magistrates’ Court on November 14 to three charges of selling fish that were taken in contravention of a corresponding law of another state or territory.

The court heard a joint operation between Fisheries Victoria and Fisheries NSW led to an inspection of an Asian grocery store in Mildura, where officers found three bags containing eight golden perch fish in the freezer at the back of the store.

Fisheries Victoria was involved in the operation to land Raynor Empang.

The store owner told investigators she had received the fish as a gift from a Malaysian customer and that she was going to use them for her own cooking

Empang was seen on CCTV footage bringing three bags of golden perch into the grocery store between November 18 and November 24 in 2020, where he was paid for his catch in cash.

The court heard the footage clearly displayed the fish in the plastic bags as the male owner of the store weighed them on the store scales.

Empang received $175 in cash from the male store owner over three occasions, all caught on CCTV.

Empang told police he normally fished at Lock 11 on the Murray River in Mildura once a week.

Lock 11 on the Murray River in Mildura is a popular fishing spot for locals.

The court heard he claimed he either ate the fish or “gives them to his family and friends”.

“Sometimes my friends pay me to buy the bait,” he told police.

“I get paid for that, I don’t have intention to sell, I just have a little money.”

Empang told police he also sent money home to his family and four children in Malaysia.

The court heard both shop owners had previously been convicted and fined $1745.94 and $500 for the offending.

Magistrate Russell Kelly convicted and fined Empang $2735.51.

“It’s illegal to catch and sell fish for commercial profit,” Mr Kelly said.

“That’s clearly what you were doing here on three separate occasions.”