WA: Man fined more than $155,000 for illegal abalone sales

AAP General News (Australia)
08-28-2006
WA: Man fined more than $155,000 for illegal abalone sales

A 36-year-old man has been fined more than 155 thousand dollars for illegally selling
greenlip abalone in Western Australia.

CRAIG GEORGE WALTER PROSSER pleaded guilty in the Busselton Magistrates Court to not
having a commercial abalone fishing license when he sold 198 kilograms of the fish in
April 2003.

He's been ordered to pay fines of 156 thousand dollars and costs.

He also has to forfeit two vehicles .. two vessels .. equipment and cash seized by
investigators three years ago.

Today's result closes Operation Tea Tree .. the state's biggest abalone poaching surveillance
operation.

Two other men have already been fined after pleading guilty.

GREG FINLAY from the Department of Fisheries says the fines show the seriousness of
the black market offences.

AAP RTV lk/es/bart

KEYWORD: ABALONE (PERTH)

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