A Paralowie man was sentenced to a seven-week suspended prison sentence after he was caught with 153 abalone, while an Elizabeth East man received a fine of more than $5000 for taking undersized crabs.
These are just some of the strict penalties handed down by South Australian courts in recent months to fishers guilty of breaking the law.
The Paralowie man was also fined $600 after he was found guilty of possessing the abalone, in breach of the Fisheries Management Act 2007.
The sentence was suspended on the condition of a 15-month good behaviour bond.
In South Australia, there is a personal daily bag limit of five abalone and a daily boat limit of 10, if taken by more than one person. There is a minimum size limit for all abalone species in the Central and Southern Zone of 13cm, and 14.5cm for greenlip abalone in the Western Zone.
In an unrelated incident, the Elizabeth East man was convicted and fined nearly $5500 for taking 55 blue swimmer crabs, all but one of which were undersized.
The magistrate ordered forfeiture of the crabs and prohibited the defendant from being in possession of blue swimmer crabs and crab-catching equipment for two years.
Size limits apply in all South Australian waters for blue swimmer crabs, with the species considered undersized if the carapace is less than 11cm when measured from side to side at the base of the largest spines.
Any undersized crabs must be immediately returned to the water.
There is also a combined blue swimmer and sand crab catch limit of 20 crabs per person.
And in a different case before the Elizabeth Magistrates Court, a man and woman from Mawson Lakes were convicted and fined for being in possession of 15 koi carp (pictured).
Koi and European carp are invasive species which degrade waterways and compete with native species for food.
These species are declared noxious under the Fisheries Management Act as they are a threat to the natural environment and industries. They cannot be held or traded in South Australia without specific authorisation.
The man was also convicted of hindering and assaulting a fisheries officer, with the pair fined a total of $4710.
Fishers are reminded that any carp (including European, koi and mirror) must be humanely killed if caught and disposed of responsibly away from the water.
If fishers see or catch carp outside of their known areas, they are encouraged to take photos and report it.
PIRSA Fisheries and Aquaculture executive director Gavin Begg said it was "disappointing" to see this type of offending happening in South Australian waters.
“Whilst this behaviour is only displayed by a minority of fishers, it is of a serious nature and has the potential to put our state’s fisheries at risk," Mr Begg said.
“I commend the majority of fishers who take notice of the rules and respect them.”
“Whether it’s targeting abalone, blue swimmer crabs or any other species, there are plenty of ways fishers can familiarise themselves with the rules before heading out to sea, either by visiting the PIRSA website or downloading the SA Recreational Fishing App."
