San Francisco Abalone Poacher Busted Three Times in Three Weeks

[tac747]

Unfortunately the punishment in these cases is less than the gains. I am sure these criminals have made a lot more than the $20,000 fine. Just like toxic waste dumps where paying a max fine of 25,000 per incident is more cost effective when you save $1,000,000 by dumping it illegally. Until the fines are more than the profit then this kind of problem will not go away

 

[ScubaVideo]

Unfortunately the punishment in these cases is less than the gains. I am sure these criminals have made a lot more than the $20,000 fine. Just like toxic waste dumps where paying a max fine of 25,000 per incident is more cost effective when you save $1,000,000 by dumping it illegally. Until the fines are more than the profit then this kind of problem will not go away

A higher fine probably doesn't matter as he will be in prison and not able to earn anything, legally or illegally to be able to pay it. Most blue collar criminals don't have a lot of extra cash hanging around.

He also lost his fishing license for life, his vehicle and dive equipment.

I too would like to see higher fines, not that they will be payable. His prison sentence will probably be cut way short due to our current prison system state of disarray.

Maybe we could just shoot him

 

[tac747]

I agree with the last line of your post SCUBAVIDEO

If you consider the black market for abs is one to two hundred dollars apiece how many times do they have to get away with it without being caught before the fine is insignificant. Granted jail time will stop them till they get out, but then they will be right back at it.

What a lot of these guys do though is rent everything and use POS cars. That way the LDS is out the money to replace the confiscated gear and they just buy another $500 car and they are back in business. On one episode of wild justice I saw game wardens bust AB poachers with 43 abs over the limit. These guys looked at it as a big joke because they know they will make more $$$ the next time out.

As far as loosing their fishing license for ever does anyone relly think that will stop them. Does it stop drunks from driving without a license.

 

[ScubaVideo]

I agree with the last line of your post SCUBAVIDEO

If you consider the black market for abs is one to two hundred dollars apiece how many times do they have to get away with it without being caught before the fine is insignificant. Granted jail time will stop them till they get out, but then they will be right back at it.

What a lot of these guys do though is rent everything and use POS cars. That way the LDS is out the money to replace the confiscated gear and they just buy another $500 car and they are back in business. On one episode of wild justice I saw game wardens bust AB poachers with 43 abs over the limit. These guys looked at it as a big joke because they know they will make more $$$ the next time out.

As far as loosing their fishing license for ever does anyone relly think that will stop them. Does it stop drunks from driving without a license.

Your right, it won't stop them at all but might make it easier for authorities to bust them in the future.

Making the fine a million dollars won't stop them either, because they don't pay the fines - they are criminals and don't see obligations of bills the way we law abiding citizens do. They deal in cash for the AB's. Though not having credit should slow them down if they rent equipment. I suspect however they just pickup a bunch of cheap equipment to use - only need cash then.

The only real deterrent will be longer prison sentences with active monitoring/patrolling of our coast. Of course, we don't have enough money in the budget for either of these.

Another option would be to make the take of AB completely illegal and allow only farm grown in restaurants and markets. Then there is the cost of monitoring these businesses for compliance. And this probably will not stop the activity either, it doesn't work with any other endangered species.

Since neither of these options are going to happen, the depletion of AB's will just continue and THAT will take care of it.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

As much as I hate to say it, and I also want to be perfectly clear, I DO NOT ENCOURAGE OR APPROVE OF THIS, but there has been talk in the past of vigilante locals with sniper rifles.
If this ever started you'd see how fast they would stop poaching.

 

[Bogie]

It would be a good idea for we who care about the ocean and all its creatures to video these guys, complete with close ups of their faces and license plate numbers and turning it over to the authorities. Maybe even post it on the Internet, forward to all dive shops, all diving groups, TV stations, etc. Make any restaurant that supports this poaching known so the public knows where not to patronize. Stop the money source.

The power of video can be quite remarkable.

Maybe this will increase the pressure on these guys legally, support network, public pressure, employers may see it, dive shops will see it, restaurants will see it, friends, family, organizations will see it. I am sure their family, friends, neighbors, church or other organizations, employers etc. would not approve of their illegal and immoral activities.

YouTube it.