Secret surveillance nabs dodgy fishers, amid rise in black market seafood trades

They hide their illegal catches in bras, underpants, secret walls in boats and even in their backsides. But secret phone taps and trackers are shutting down underwater thieves before their stolen goods can reach the black market.

Victorian Fisheries Authority Officers Sarah and Mark have caught people hiding illegally caught fish in their bras and underpants to avoid detection. Picture: Mark Stewart

Dodgy fishers are stashing their illegal catches in underpants, bras, secret walls in boats and even in their backsides as they try to evade authorities.

Secret phone taps, hidden cameras and tracking devices are being used to crack down on the ­rising number of black market seafood deals.

Restaurants, Asian grocers and fish and chip shops across Melbourne have been searched in connection to ­illegal abalone, a delicacy with a retail price of up to $1599 a kilogram. Facebook and the Chinese messaging app WeChat are being used by poachers to make lucrative deals.

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Victorian Fisheries Authority Officer Sarah keeps watch. Picture: Mark Stewart

Almost 300 abalone seized at Altona in late January.

Four men were arrested in connection to 173 abalone seized in Williamstown.

Victorian Fisheries Authority officers — who patrol coasts, rivers and lakes to prevent illegal fishing — have ­already netted numerous ­offenders this year, including two divers who took 298 ­abalone at Altona — almost 30 times the daily bag limit.

The pair could spend up to five years behind bars if convicted.

VFA supervising investigator Pieter Wilderkamp said long-term investigations were being undertaken in response to an emergence of “profiteers” with illegal catches.

Last year a Warnambool fish and chip shop owner was charged after an 18-month ­investigation found he was using a commercial-sized boat to catch illegal quantities of fish to sell. His boat, truck and fishing equipment valued at $200,000 were seized.

Mr Wilderkamp said law-breakersbreakers were fishing in large teams and trying to hide their catches in bizarre ways.

“There is an emerging trend for people to recreationally fish and sell,” he said. “Some people trying to get past us by storing excess fish in the walls around the boat, in their bras, underpants, wet suits or even in their cracks.

“There is no doubt they are fishing to sell because they are out in teams … a boat will take four people to one spot then another group to a different spot. They sleep on the shore and are back at it the next day.”

Abalone is a valuable item on the black market.

Victorian Fisheries Authority off Williamstown. Picture: Mark Stewart

Victorian Fisheries Authority Officer Ashley dives off Williamstown as Senior Fisheries Officer Eric watches on. Picture: Mark Stewart

Surveillance methods ­including listening devices, covert cameras, mobile data and GPS are being used to catch offenders in the act.

Undercover and camouflaged officers also spy on ­illegal fishing activity.

They caught well over 5000 offenders in 2017-18. More than 40 faced criminal charges, 1721 were fined and the rest were given warnings.

The public dobbed on illegal fishers 1777 times via hotline 13 FISH.

The owner of a CBD restaurant was charged with three counts of illegally selling abalone and had to forfeit $24,000 worth of the shellfish.

Census data analysed by Kansom, a Melbourne-based Asian food supplier, shows almost 600,000kg of abalone was consumed in Victoria by people born in Asian countries in 2016.

In addition to fines, jail time and confiscations, officials have power to impose lifetime bans preventing offenders from stepping on to a boat or even holding fishing gear.

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@AneekaSimonis