Why a Victorian man was fined $20,000, banned from fishing for five years and had his ute confiscated

A man has been handed a hefty fine, lost his pickup truck, his boat and his fishing license for five years after authorities caught him with nearly two dozen endangered fish species.

The 60-year-old Melbourne man was found with a friend at Lake Hume in north-eastern Victoria in 2023 with 22 golden perch in his boat and 200 abalone meat at one of their homes.

Both men pleaded guilty to illegal fishing offences in early September.

The man in his 60s was fined $20,000, banned from fishing in the state for five years and had his pickup truck impounded.

His fishing partner was fined $850 and their fishing equipment and the 16-foot boat they were in at the time were also confiscated.

In Victoria the catch limit for golden perch is five per person and the state limit for abalone is ten per person at any one time.

Victorian Fisheries Authorities discovered the men while they were still fishing in their boat in the lake.

The homes of both suspects were searched by officers and all the abalone pieces were found in one home.

The pair were found with 22 golden perch, despite the maximum catch for each fisherman being only five

Both men initially told officers they had only caught ten golden perchsaid Paul Shea, Victoria’s acting director of fisheries education and enforcement.

“However, upon closer inspection, we discovered that there were an additional 12 golden groupers hidden beneath the floor of the boat, making a total of 22 individuals ranging in size from 15 to nearly 24 inches,” Shea said.

‘Officers seized their 5.1-metre boat on the scene, along with their fishing gear and fish.’

Mr Shea said it was important the men were punished so the state… maintain sustainable fisheries.

After authorities searched their homes, 200 abalone meats were found, breaking Victoria’s strict limit of 10 per person at any one time