Roland Langi sentenced over 460 abalone illegally hauled from Port Phillip Bay
A Tongan fruit picker has had a big day at Port Phillip Bay, hauling in more than 90 times the legal limit of abalone that he wanted to give to his community.
South East
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A Tongan man busted illegally fishing in Port Phillip Bay has narrowly avoided prison over a massive haul of abalone.
Roland Langi fronted the Moorabbin Magistrates’ Court on May 9 for sentencing after he hauled in 92 times the legal amount of abalone from the bay.
Langi appeared in court, requiring the assistance of a Tongan interpreter, four months after pleading guilty to four charges.
The court heard the legal amount of abalone a person can collect in a non-commercial catch is five units, however, Langi was caught hauling 460 units of the protected species, where 420 were also under the legal size.
The court heard Victorian Fisheries Authority officers witnessed Langi duck-diving and spear fishing in the Port Phillip Bay area on February 22 in 2023 and later searched his car to find the enormous amount of the protected snail.
Langi’s lawyer Adrian Dessi told the court his client had been planning on using the abalone as a gift for his community.
“His visa was about to end, so he wanted to thank his community for supporting him during his stay,” Mr Dessi said.
The court heard Langi had previously worked in Australia as a seasonal fruit picker, but had since stopped, due to his visa expiration.
Facing a potential four years behind bars, Langi said he was prepared to go to prison, despite not knowing the restrictions around fishing abalone in Victoria.
Magistrate Robert Stary said ignorance wasn’t a defence.
“This is no different to a person who has 2kg of heroin,” he said.
“This is a serious example and it calls for a serious punishment.”
Mr Dessi fought for a community corrections order, so Langi could return to Tonga following its completion.
“He’s been separated from his 18-year-old daughter for longer than expected,” Mr Dessi said.
The court heard people who commit similar offences often are put behind bars, but Mr Stary said due to Langi’s previously clean record and guilty plea, he would make an exception.
Langi was ordered to complete a 12 month corrections order with 250 hours of unpaid community work and to pay a $2500 fine.
