Hiding abalone in underpants costs abusive man $5000

Marc_Ainsworth

From the Department of Primary Industries

Thursday, January 12, 2012

Hiding abalone in underpants costs abusive man $5000

A man who threatened and abused Fisheries Officers when they caught him hiding illegal abalone in his underpants has been fined $5000.

Magistrate John O’Callaghan told 52 year old Sooseala Ulberg, of Meadow Heights, the most serious part of his offending was threatening and abusing the officers.

He said the abuse was very serious.

Broadmeadows Magistrates Court heard Ulberg was watched by the officers as he gathered abalone in shallow water at Seaholme, near Altona, in January last year.

He was wearing a black T shirt, goggles, black underpants and shoes as he used a silver knife to prise the abalone from rocks.

The officers told the court Ulberg turned back to the water when he was intercepted and tried to throw the abalone in his underpants back into water.

He then began shouting obscenties and threatening to kill the officers.

Ulberg failed to appear in court last May and was arrested by police at the end of last year.

In court this week Ulberg pleaded guilty to taking abalone during a closed season, taking undersize abalone and abusing, threatening and hindering Fisheries Officers.

He was fined, ordered to pay costs of nearly $70 and banned from recreational fishing for 12 months.

The Director of Enforcement at Fisheries Victoria, Michael Hodder said Fisheries Officers performed an extremely important task in protecting fisheries resources and educating community members on a range of matters.

”Being threatened and abused is never acceptable,” Mr Hodder said.

Anyone who sees or suspects illegal fishing activity is urged to call the 24 hour reporting line 13 FISH (13 3474).

pale ale · Posted: Thu Jan 12, 2012 12:17 pm Post subject:

Deport him!!!

greyghost · Posted: Thu Jan 12, 2012 12:47 pm Post subject:

Why ban him from having a fishing license, he properly didnt have one anyway. $5000, good call, should be more of it.

Trailblaze_6.1 · Posted: Thu Jan 12, 2012 12:49 pm Post subject:

Make him walk the plank on Mordialloc pier with the rest of them. Sounds like Ze Germans Tommy, he's not a greek, italian or asian by the sounds of it, wtf is going on Matto, they are spreading like a disease. Next thing you know Mr Smith from Sunbury will have few green lips up his ass. Exterminate them all!

greyghost · Posted: Thu Jan 12, 2012 12:55 pm Post subject:

still fishing TB??? LOL

Trailblaze_6.1 · Posted: Thu Jan 12, 2012 1:50 pm Post subject: Re:

Trailblaze_6.1 · Posted: Thu Jan 12, 2012 3:48 pm Post subject:

"Farewell and adieu to you fair Hunchi. Farewell and adieu to you Hunchi of Oz. For we've received orders for to sail back to Boston. And so never more shall we see you again."

FOF · Posted: Thu Jan 12, 2012 7:50 pm Post subject:

They got to get real on the penalties!!!

Some of the Ab license holders paid $8m to hold the right to fish.

All the work to catch the thieves for not enough penalty!!

fisherhawk · Posted: Thu Jan 12, 2012 8:13 pm Post subject: Re:

craigmack · Posted: Thu Jan 12, 2012 9:31 pm Post subject:

Gotta be a joke somewhere about clams and underpants

shame it's a bloke!!