Poacher gets jail warning

A SPRINGVALE man has been warned he will face jail if he commits any more fisheries offences.
The man, 40, has fisheries convictions dating back to 2002 and faced Frankston Magistrates’ Court last week for obstructing a fisheries officer, taking undersized abalone and using commercial fishing equipment.
He was given a six month suspended sentence, fined $1000 and ordered to pay more than $200 in costs.
Magistrate Ross Betts said if the man appeared before court on fisheries charges again, he would be jailed.
The court heard that the man was found with 10 abalone at Gunnamatta Back Beach in August last year.
When approached by fisheries officers he ran back into the water and threw the abalone back.
Six were recovered and several were undersized.
He also took 67 red shore crabs, exceeding the catch limit of 30.
Fisheries Victoria director of compliance Michael Hodder said people with a criminal intent to thieve from the fisheries can expect to be caught.
Anyone who sees or suspects illegal fishing activity is urged to call the reporting line 13 FISH (13 3474).