A South Coast commercial abalone diver will face court in July after he was allegedly caught with a commercial quantity of eastern rock lobsters late last year.
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The NSW Department of Primary Industry alleges the 46-year-old man, who holds a commercial abalone licence, was found with 10 of the animals stashed in a hessian bag aboard his commercial boat at Tathra on December 4 last year.
The man has been charged with possessing more than the legal limit of the animal, contravening the conditions of his abalone licence and taking fish with the intention of selling them.
The case was heard in Bega Local Court on Tuesday, June 25 and the man is yet to enter a plea.
According to court documents, the department claims the fact the amount is twice the permitted commercial quantity of five, and that the animal is classified as a "priority species" with commercial value, equates to aggravating circumstances.
The department said because the man was fishing commercially for abalone at the time, all animals caught aboard the boat must be deemed as being for future sale.
Magistrate Doug Dick adjourned the matter to Bega Local Court on Tuesday, July 23.
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