Poaching - 68 abalone caught illegally
Mendocino, CA (US)

Incident Date: Tuesday, Oct 26, 1999
County: Mendocino

Disposition: State Citation

Persons of Interest:
» Bronson Li
» Minh Li
» Cong Li

Bronson Le, 46, Minh Le, 31, and Cong Le, 33, all brothers, were arrested on Oct. 26, 1999 after local citizens reported them diving for abalone off Kelly Street in the city of Mendocino. When arrested on the ninth consecutive day of diving, they were in possession of 68 abalone, DFG officials said. All were convicted of felony conspiracy charges to harvest abalone from a closed area for commercial purposes.

"They had a large amount of abalone in their possession when they were arrested and that was after just one day of diving, and they were out there for nine straight days," said Fred Cole, a deputy chief of DFG's enforcement branch. "The largest concentration of abalone left in the world is located on California's North Coast, and it is a big priority of ours to save this resource."

North Coast red abalone can only be taken by sport divers for personal consumption with a limit of four per day. The commercial take of abalone, which has always been prohibited in the North Coast, has been closed statewide the past three years because of a severe decline in the abalone population. Additionally, it is unlawful to take abalone by divers using scuba gear. Abalone can only be taken by sport divers collecting from exposed rocks or by free diving without scuba gear. Also, this year new regulations in effect limit the total take to 100 abalone per person per season.

The abalone sport season runs from April 1 to June 30, and then from Aug. 1 to Nov. 30 only in ocean waters north of San Francisco Bay.

Bronson and Minh Le, because they had prior arrests, were sentenced to 270 days in jail, 36 months felony probation with a search and seizure clause, and a lifetime revocation of all fishing licenses. In addition, their vehicles and dive gear were confiscated. Cong Le received the same probation as his brothers, but received only 60 days in jail.

References

• Department of Fish and Game - May 26, 2000

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