Operation Ratchet turns up another successful prosecution




A second man has been ordered to pay big fines and penalties, forfeit fishing gear and is also now prohibited from fishing for abalone, following another successful prosecution arising from “Operation Ratchet”.

The Department of Fisheries’ compliance operation is aimed at identifying people actively involved in either the illegal take or illegal distribution of abalone, in the Perth metropolitan area.

In Joondalup Court on Friday (5 April 2013), 55 year-old Van Thanh LE from Darch was given fines, penalties and court costs totalling $15,341 for three offences. The offences involved the take of abalone out of season, exceeding the possession limit and the possession of totally protected fish (60 undersize abalone).

LE and another man Duy Cam DAO (aged 46) of Girrawheen, who was prosecuted last month, had both been under surveillance by Fisheries and Marine Officers (FMOs) at Ocean Reef on Tuesday 11 December last year, before they were later apprehended.


The officers found 299 abalone in LE’s backpack. DAO’s backpack had 326 abalone in it.

As part of $25,093 in fines, penalties and court costs handed down in the Joondalup Court (on Friday 1 March), DAO was issued with an $8,000 fine for breaching a Section 225 order against him in 2007 and was issued with a new court order that prohibits him from being in possession of abalone, on top of his ongoing abalone fishing ban.

Department of Fisheries Manager for Compliance and Regional Support Phil Shaw said Operation Ratchet was set up following information from the public.

“With more than $40,000 in fines from these cases alone, the public information has proved valuable and it’s good to know that the community supports our FMOs in identifying illegal fishing activity so they can investigate,” Mr Shaw said.

“Anyone with information on illegal fishing activities can call FISHWATCH on 1800 815 507.”

The 2012/13 West Coast Zone abalone fishing season has now ended and doesn’t begin again until the first Sunday in November, but in the Southern Zone (from the Busselton Jetty to the South Australian border), the abalone season continues until 15 May. There is a total ban on abalone fishing north of Moore River (to the NT border) until further notice.

For more information, see the Recreational Fishing for Abalone – 2012/13 Guide. Copies of all recfishing guides are available online from Fisheries at www.fish.wa.gov.au, from department offices, or from Information Outlets.

Some of the more than 600 abalone found in the offenders' backpacks