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California Department of Fish and Game News Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - February 22, 2011

Contact:
Patrick Foy, DFG Law Enforcement, (916) 508-7095

San Francisco Abalone Poacher Busted Three Times in Three Weeks
Officers from three law enforcement agencies recognize violations, seize evidence

A San Francisco man was recently caught poaching abalone during the closed season - for the third time in three weeks. The last arrest came on Feb. 19, 2011, when game wardens from the California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) arrested Qiong Wang, 31, for felony conspiracy and take of abalone for commercial purposes, among other charges. Wardens also arrested Wang's companion, David Trevors, 28, of San Francisco, on similar charges.

On Feb. 2, an officer from the Petaluma Police Department contacted Wang and Trevors in Petaluma during an investigation of another crime. He found them in possession of five abalone. The officer was aware that abalone season was closed. He cited and released Wang for four poaching misdemeanors (unlawful take, take of abalone out of season, possession of an overlimit and failure to tag).

On Feb. 12, a Mendocino County Sheriff's deputy stopped Wang for speeding on Highway 28 near Boonville. The deputy found two wet duffel bags containing fresh abalone in the back seat and contacted his dispatch to request assistance from a DFG warden. Warden Don Powers responded and discovered 36 red abalone, five of which were undersized. Powers also found five SCUBA tanks and associated SCUBA diving gear in the trunk of Wang's car. Wang was booked into Mendocino County Jail for possession of abalone for commercial sale. His Toyota sedan and all dive gear were seized as evidence.

On Feb. 19, five days after being released from jail for the last poaching incident, Wang and Trevors were spotted using SCUBA gear to poach abalone from a rented kayak in Van Damme State Park. For approximately two hours, wardens watched as the partners kayaked into the ocean and collected 55 abalone. The men returned to shore, stashed the abalone near the beach and drove to the Sub-Surface Progression dive shop in Fort Bragg to return the rented kayak. Wardens contacted the pair at the dive shop. Both men were arrested and booked into Mendocino County Jail. Wardens recovered the hidden abalone and Trevor's vehicle, and all related dive gear was seized.

"Despite aggressive enforcement and prosecution, wardens have noticed an increase in abalone poaching over the last few years, on the Sonoma and Mendocino coasts in particular. For many abalone poachers, the profit from the illegal sale of abalone clearly outweighs the risks of getting caught," said DFG Assistant Chief Tony Warrington.

Abalone season closed Dec. 1, and does not reopen until April 1. For more information, please see www.dfg.ca.gov/news/news10/2010062401-Poaching-Sonoma-Mendocino.html.

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This seems true of most crimes where poaching natural resources is involved. Here are a couple examples from the VA/MD area

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/ou...9265.story

This was the first of a couple illegal gill nets placed in the bay this season.

This was another within days of the first.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/ou...5276.story

And for those of you not aware, just because the harvest is legal doesn't make it sane or right. here are a couple articles about the wasteful harvest of stripers off the NC coast this spring.


http://cfrgnc.blogspot.com/2011/01/nc...s-and.html
http://www.northcarolinasportsman.com...;id=139190

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What's an Abalone??

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Doesn't matter Cliff...you won't find any in Texas!

They are a 1/2 shell molusk with a foot that ataches to rocks. they come in several flavors...Black, Green, Red, Pink, and White with the white being most prized.

They are Goooood eating but popularity has gotten the best of them. Takes 5-7 years to grow to legal size. In the '50s and '60s you could find blacks and greens at low tide. By the '80s they were scarce and had a bag limit of four and then later two. Very hard to find now and there has been a moretoreum on them in So Cal for at least a decade. More plentiful in N cal.

In addition they are hemopheliac so if you nic the foot while removing and measiring...they are eel food...and eels will challenge you for them! A special wide tipped and blunt ab iron must be used.

I have busted many folks going after them and have been able to flag down boats to contact F&G...great feeling! If I ever discover someone like the guys noted above...I would set their car afire...with them in it!



I have

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"What's an Abalone?? "
I think she is the drummer for Prince. ;)

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the second "I Have" got there by mistake...no fires...Yet

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I think the shell is used to make jewelry too.

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Well we have other things here in Texas that makes up for the lack of Albacore here, we have some of the most beautiful women on te planet right here in Dallas!!

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Albacore?? I thought we were talking about Abalone Cliff!

What you have in Dallas is a completely different kind of shellfish! And you had better hope that they are on the "protected" list!

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you can still buy abalone pretty much all year round but they are farm raised and run 7 to 10 bucks each I believe they come in the shell and are kept on ice. you can also buy it by the pound here in San Diego for $115 a pound or the going rate that's what it was the last time I inquired about them. The farm raised abalone my buddy gets at Santa Barbara fish market if there's anybody in that neck of the woods.

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Darn autocorrect!! My iPhone does that to me all the time!!! Lol.

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Doesn't matter Cliff...you won't find any in Texas!

Well, if there were any or them dern things in Texas they sure would be bigger than them itty bitty ones in California, and the`d let ya`ll take em any time you want.

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As long as the profit outweighs the penalty, the poaching will only increase. Send them to a Turkish prison for a few years, that will change their mind.

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I agree Harley. That's why most of these guys are repeat offenders.

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looks like this guys going to pay big time and it is about time they start put some teeth into the law hit these guys were it hurts.

California Department of Fish and Game News Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - May 12, 2011

Contacts:
Patrick Foy, DFG Law Enforcement, (916) 651-2084

Poachers Sentenced for Trafficking Abalone in Bay Area

An abalone poacher and restaurant owner have both been convicted and fined for engaging in the illegal sale of sport-caught abalone. Two state agencies, the California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) and California State Parks (CSP), worked together with the Sonoma County District Attorney's Office to investigate the case and aggressively prosecute the crimes.

"Illegal commercialization of California's abalone resources will not be tolerated," said Tony Warrington, Assistant Chief of the DFG Law Enforcement Division.

In the fall of 2009, CSP rangers began to suspect abalone trafficking was taking place after making multiple contacts with diver Michael Sean Miller, 55, of Petaluma, in the area around Fisk Mill. Rangers relayed the information to DFG's Special Operations Unit, which began an investigation. Wardens soon observed Miller harvesting abalone and transporting them to the rear entrance of Pacific Restaurant, 1045 Terra Nova Blvd. in Pacifica. There, Miller was observed selling the illegally taken abalone to the restaurant's owner, Pim Lim Szeto, 51 of San Francisco. Wardens arrested both subjects for the illegal sale and purchase of abalone.

The Sonoma County District Attorney's Office began to prosecute the case in October 2009. Szeto was subsequently fined $20,000 and sentenced to 90 days work release time. His fishing license was revoked for life.

In May 2011, Miller pled guilty to poaching charges. He was fined $15,000 and sentenced to 90 days work release time with three years probation. He was also ordered to forfeit all dive gear and fishing equipment. His fishing licence has been revoked for life and he is prohibited from possessing abalone.

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Justice served to those scum bags!!

I hope those clowns like picking up trash on the side of the road!!

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When the bad ones slip through the cracks, the people who care have to get involved. USMC Staff Sgt. Jason Rogers KIA Afghanistan, laid to rest in Brandon MS. Without protesters or violence. Should work for this also.

http://www.retirelikeme.com/2011/04/2...ist-plans/

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I hope the scum who toss' trash onto the side of the road, will meet an unhappy ending, and darned quickly.
I know we need laws for fools like the Abalone thieves, but laws didn't stop them. It should be OK for us to bait our crap pots with them. Then these kinds of jerks would think twice before repeating such an offense.
I like the mini van fire idea though.

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3 times in 3 weeks. not only a low life poaching felon, but an absolute idiot to boot. i wouldn't mind some of my tax dollars going to his incarceration for a couple years. they should also seize all of his property, and assets.

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DNR officers in Georgia have unbelievable powers of confiscation. These dudes would not have had a vehicle, scuba gear, kayaks etc to use to commit a wildlife related crime in Georgia after the first time. A fair trial then off to prison for 3 years sounds reasonable.

Zap

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this was in fs ca. he'll probably get probation, and start poaching something else.

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it is not one species it's the other. Here again a poacher is caught and will probably get a slap on the hand.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - January 16, 2012

Contacts:
Paul Hamdorff, DFG Law Enforcement, (562) 400-1250
Andrew Hughan, DFG Communications, (916) 201-2958

DFG Marine Wardens Snare Poacher Inside New Marine Protected Area

Department of Fish and Game (DFG) wardens cited a Southern California man early Sunday morning for poaching dozens of lobsters inside a Marine Protected Area (MPA).

Wardens observed Marbel A. Para, 30, of Romoland (Riverside County) and a companion scuba diving in the Laguna Beach State Marine Reserve after midnight on Jan. 15. This location, which is in the Heisler Park area off the coast of Laguna Beach, has historically been closed to lobster fishing for years (even prior to the establishment of the MPA).

After the divers left the water and returned to their vehicle, the wardens made contact with them and discovered 47 California spiny lobsters in their possession. In addition to illegally taking the lobsters from an MPA, the divers were well over the legal possession limit of seven lobsters per diver, and all but five of the lobsters were undersized. Para claimed that all the lobsters were his, and his companion was not cited.

This is the first major violation that DFG wardens have cited in any of the Southern California MPAs since they went into effect in Southern California on Jan. 1, 2012. The MPAs were created through the Marine Life Protection Act in order to simplify and strengthen existing marine reserves and fishing regulations to allow recovery of fish populations that have been in severe decline.

"The vast majority of our fishing and diving constituents are responsible and law-abiding," said DFG Assistant Chief Paul Hamdorf. "It is always our goal to catch those who choose to intentionally abuse the resources of this state for their own benefit."

Wardens cited Para for several poaching violations including unlawful take and illegal possession of lobster, and possession of overlimits and undersized animals. A report will be filed with the Orange County District Attorney and Para may face additional charges related to this case.

All the lobsters were confiscated, photographed as evidence and then safely returned to the ocean.